Muscat – While the total number of marriages in Oman decreased slightly from 15,400 in 2022 to 14,716 in 2023, the number of divorces experienced a more substantial drop, declining from over 4,160 cases in 2022 to just over 3,828 in 2023.

A closer look at marriage and divorce rates in four key governorates – Muscat, North Al Batinah, Al Wusta, and Musandam – provides insight into regional disparities:

Marriage and Divorce Statistics:
Muscat: Muscat Governorate led the way, recording 3,565 marriages in 2023, up from 3,161 in 2022; the figure was 3,980 in 2021. Muscat also had the highest number of divorces, with 1,008 cases in 2023, up from 977 in 2022 (853 in 2021).

North Al Batinah: North Al Batinah followed Muscat with 2,542 marriages in 2023. This represents a decrease from the 2,713 marriages recorded in 2022 and 3,783 in 2021. The Governorate saw 665 divorce cases, showing a slight decrease from 666 cases in 2022. The number of divorce cases had reached 723 in 2021.

Al Wusta: Al Wusta reported the lowest number of marriages among the four governorates, with 119 marriages in 2023, a modest increase from 109 in 2022 – a comparatively bigger difference from 176 in 2021. On the divorce front, it recorded 50 cases in 2023, an increase from 41 cases the previous year and 46 in 2021.

Musandam: Musandam experienced a decline in marriages, with only 107 recorded in 2023, down from 119 in 2022 and 191 in 2021. It also reported fewest divorce cases, with just 16 in 2023, marking a significant decrease from 32 cases in 2022; the number was 25 in 2021.