Muscat – The health expenditure in the sultanate rose 7.2% to RO1.162bn in 2025, from RO1.084bn a year earlier, as demand for public healthcare services increased across outpatient, surgical and specialised care.

Dialysis sessions rose 5% to about 401,000 during the year, while the number of Ministry of Health institutions with dialysis units increased to 32.

Outpatient visits to Ministry of Health institutions grew by 3%, reaching 16.1mn in 2025 from 15.6mn in 2024.

Surgical activity recorded a sharper increase, with the number of procedures rising 9% to 101,700, compared with 93,100 in 2024.

The latest health statistics also showed improvements in several maternal and child health indicators.

The maternal mortality rate among Omani women fell from 14.5 to 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, while infant mortality rate dropped from 8.0 to 7.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The fertility rate among Omani women stood at 2.8 in 2025, while life expectancy at birth for the total population reached 78.6 years.

Blood donations increased 1.4% during the year. Muscat accounted for about half of all blood donors, while Omanis made up 82.7% of the total donor pool.

Ministry of Health hospitals recorded 3,992 deaths in 2025, with diseases of the circulatory system remaining the leading cause.

The increase in spending and healthcare activity comes as the public health system continues to provide a growing number of outpatient, surgical and specialised services.