More than 215,000 expats left Oman until December 2020

Muscat: The number of expatriate workers in the government sector decreased by 12,447 workers during the year, from December 2019 until December 2020, decrease to 22.8%.

The number of expatriate workers in the government sector in December 2019 reached about 54,687 workers, bringing the number to 42,240 in December 2020, according to figures issued by the Royal Oman Police.

The number of expats in the private sector decreased by 215,748 expatriates, during the same period; As their number in December 2019 reached about 1.36 million migrant workers, bringing the number down to about 1.14 million migrant workers in December 2020, a decrease of 15.8%.

In the household sector, the decline was the lowest compared to the rest of the sectors; As it reached 14.1%, with 41,475 workers. Where their number until December 2019 was about 294,000 and the number decreased to about 252,000 by the end of December 2020.

The decrease in the total expatriate workers in the Sultanate during 2020 in various sectors reached 269,670 expatriate workers, which represented 15.7%, while the number decreased during 2019 by 74,649 expatriate workers, a decrease of 4%.

According to educational qualifications level, it is clear that the highest percentage of decline was in the illiterate and middle school groups, by 17% each, while in the diploma and university holders the percentage of decline did not exceed 13% for each.

The figures indicated that Indian nationality was the most in the category in which the number of expatriate workers decreased, by more than 125,000 and by 20% of the total. By the end of December 2019, their number reached 617,000 Indian expatriates, bringing the number down to 492,000.

Bangladeshi citizenship followed, at about 77,000, with a decrease of 12%. Where their number in the same period was 630,000 then declined to 553,000.

As for Pakistani nationality, the number of workers decreased by approximately 13%, to an estimated number of 27,000. Where the number was 207,000 down to 180,000.