Oman ranks first in West Asia, ninth globally in open data
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman has secured the top position in West Asia and ranked ninth globally in the field of open data, according to a report issued by the Open Data Observatory , an independent entity recognized by the United Nations Statistical Commission.
The report highlighted Oman's significant progress, advancing ten places in 2024 compared to 2022. Oman ranked ninth out of 197 countries worldwide, compared to 19th out of 195 countries in 2022, achieving 84 points in 2024, up from 74 points in 2022.
Oman also ranked third globally in data openness. The 2024 Open Data Inventory Report assessed Oman's open data across three key sectors: social, economic, and environmental , covering 22 topics in total.
The report showcased Oman's excellence in several statistical domains, with a perfect score of 100 points in population and vital statistics, healthcare infrastructure, foreign trade, monetary and banking data, and openness indicators such as machine-readable data formats, non-proprietary formats, and open licenses.
Additionally, Oman's economic statistics coverage improved significantly, rising from 65 points in 2022 to 77 points in 2024. This progress was driven by enhancements in monetary and banking databases, foreign trade, and balance of payments, all of which scored 100 points in coverage. Price indices also saw a notable increase from 50 to 88 points.
The report further highlighted Oman's economic statistics improvement, with scores rising from 76 points in 2022 to 89 points in 2024, primarily due to advancements in monetary and banking statistics, which jumped from 75 points in 2022 to 100 points in 2024. Price index databases also improved from 72 points in 2022 to 94 points in 2024.
Other key statistics included foreign trade (100 points), balance of payments (94 points), and labor force (90 points).
Oman has successfully increased data openness and coverage across most statistical sectors available to users via its data portal. The report noted significant progress in the accessibility of social statistics, with the overall score rising to 83 points in 2024 , compared to 74 points in 2022. This improvement was driven by population and vital statistics databases , as well as health infrastructure statistics, both of which achieved a perfect score of 100 points.
Oman was classified among the top 80% of countries that demonstrated performance improvements, as the global index recorded its highest growth rate since its inception, at 12.5% . The Sultanate has emerged as a leading regional model in developing and publishing official data in line with best international practices.
The National Center for Statistics and Information reaffirmed its commitment to supporting open data policies, enhancing data readines for research and planning purposes, and contributing to evidence-based decision-making to support Oman's ongoing development.
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