Dubai: More than 75,000 Omanis were recorded as having disabilities in 2025, an increase of about 9 per cent from the previous year, with official figures also showing a rise in employment among people with disabilities.
The total reached 75,432, accounting for 2.5 per cent of the Omani population, according to figures released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
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Men accounted for 60 per cent of the total, at 44,916, compared with 30,516 women. Nearly six in 10 Omanis with disabilities were under the age of 40.
North Al Batinah recorded the highest number among the country's governorates, with 16,199 people.
Employment among Omanis with disabilities rose 10 per cent from 2024 to 18,437 people, with 47 per cent working in the private sector. The economic participation rate among those aged 15 and above stood at approximately 38 per cent.
Agriculture, livestock and poultry rearing, and fishing accounted for the largest share of employment by occupational group, at 18 per cent.
Government support also reached tens of thousands of people. Disability benefit payments totalled about RO74 million in 2025, covering 51,252 Omani beneficiaries, 61 per cent of whom were men.
A further 10,074 people received assistive devices and support services. Parking permits for people with disabilities accounted for approximately 22 per cent of the services and assistance recorded under that category.
The figures also showed that 9,226 people attended government and private rehabilitation centres at the ministry's expense. Oman had 128 such centres.
Non-congenital causes accounted for 56 per cent of disabilities among Omanis, equivalent to 42,210 cases. The report also found that 15 per cent of disabilities occurred during childbirth, while 20 per cent were attributed to diseases and 7 per cent to accidents.
Physical disabilities represented about 28 per cent of all recorded cases.
In education, 42 per cent of Omanis with disabilities aged 10 and above had attained an educational level below the General Education Diploma.
The report also recorded 483 Omanis with disabilities aged six and above enrolled in school education during the 2025–2026 academic year, comprising 276 males and 207 females.
Marriage and property ownership were also covered in the report. A total of 26,511 Omanis with disabilities were married, including 17,842 men and 8,669 women. Among those aged 15 and above, the proportion who were married stood at about 35 per cent.
The number owning at least one plot of land increased 9.3 per cent compared with 2024, while ownership of at least one residential unit rose 10 per cent.
Vehicle ownership increased 9.5 per cent, with 18,499 Omanis with disabilities owning at least one vehicle.
The findings were published in the NCSI's Community Groups 2026 – 2025 Data report.