Oman

Oman: Country Intelligence Briefing

Oman presents as a hydrocarbon-producing Gulf economy with a relatively high defense-spending ratio and a governance profile V-Dem v15 scores as low on electoral and liberal democracy but comparatively high on state capacity. The fiscal position on file shows moderate government debt set against sizable reserves, while the energy figures point to a substantial domestic oil and gas sector.

Economy and Fiscal Position

GDP was $107.1 billion in 2024, with GDP per capita of $20,285.23, both per World Bank WDI. Population was 5,281,538 in 2024, per World Bank WDI. Government debt stood at 32.7 percent of GDP in 2026, per IMF WEO, and reserves were $18.3 billion in 2024, per World Bank WDI.

Defense Posture

Military expenditure reached $5.99 billion in 2025, per SIPRI Milex, equivalent to 5.682 percent of GDP under SIPRI's own GDP series for 2025 — a figure that should not be read against the separately sourced World Bank GDP number above. Active personnel stood at 43,000 in 2022, per COW NMC, with a Composite Index of National Capability (CINC) score of 0.0017310641 the same year, also per COW NMC.

Governance

V-Dem v15 scores Oman's electoral democracy at 0.175 and liberal democracy at 0.14 for 2025, alongside a notably higher state capacity score of 0.613 the same year.

Energy

Oman's energy figures are current and substantial. Primary energy consumption was 1.6087 exajoules in 2024, and electricity generation was 52.84 terawatt-hours in 2025, both per Our World in Data (Energy). Oil production was 557.484 terawatt-hours and gas production was 453.207 terawatt-hours, both for 2024, per Our World in Data (Energy), underscoring the country's role as a hydrocarbon producer.

Data Gaps

The active-personnel and CINC figures are from 2022, three years old relative to this briefing. The milex-to-GDP ratio of 5.682 percent uses SIPRI's own GDP denominator for 2025 and should not be recalculated against the World Bank's GDP figure, which is sourced separately and dated 2024. No other series in this bundle show obvious staleness; the energy, debt, and reserves figures are all dated 2024 or 2025.

Sources: World Bank WDI; IMF WEO; SIPRI Milex; COW NMC; V-Dem v15; Our World in Data (Energy).