MUSCAT : The report, issued by the GCC Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat), reflects the strategic importance GCC countries place on developing human capital and enhancing the quality of education.

The report indicated that the total number of students enrolled in general education in GCC countries reached approximately 10.9 million in the 2023/2024 academic year, compared to about 10.4 million in 2018/2019, recording an average annual growth rate of 0.8 percent over the past five years. Students accounted for 17.7 percent of the total GCC population.

The report also noted that the public education sector accommodates the majority of students, with around 7.6 million students, representing 70.2 percent of the total. Meanwhile, the private sector enrolled approximately 3.3 million students. Notably, private education recorded an average annual growth rate of 4.8 percent, compared to a slight decline of 0.6 percent in public education during the same period.

In terms of gender distribution, female students represented 49.5 percent of total enrolment in general education, with approximately 5.4 million females compared to 5.5 million males. Female student numbers grew at an average annual rate of 2.3 percent, compared to 0.4 percent for males between 2018/2019 and 2023/2024.

Regarding teaching staff, the total number of teachers in general education across GCC countries reached approximately 940.1 thousand teachers in the 2023/2024 academic year, an increase of about 169 thousand teachers compared to 2018/2019, with an average annual growth rate of 4 percent.

School education —which includes general education, adult education, and literacy programmes— accounted for the largest share of teachers, with around 842 thousand teachers (89.6 percent of the total).

Early childhood education employed approximately 98.1 thousand teachers, representing 10.4 percent.
Female teachers constituted the majority of the teaching workforce, accounting for 63.8 percent, reflecting the growing role of women in the GCC education system.

On the institutional level, the report highlighted the continued expansion of educational institutions across all levels, in line with rising demand for education and increasing student numbers. It also pointed to the development of higher education systems and overseas scholarship programmes, which contribute to preparing qualified GCC talent across various fields.

The report affirmed that GCC countries have achieved notable progress in education indicators over past decades, supported by significant government investments in educational infrastructure and the adoption of strategies aimed at improving quality, fostering innovation, and aligning education outcomes with labour market needs.

GCC countries are also working to strengthen educational integration among member states, leverage digital transformation in education, and develop future skills and curricula in line with global economic and technological shifts — enhancing the competitiveness of the GCC education system internationally.

For all the latest news from Oman and GCC, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.