Tuesday 19 / November / 2024
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman is considered one of the safest countries in the world.
With one of the lowest crime rates around the world, the latest bulletin released by National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) reveals that there has been a 14 percent reduction in crime rate between 2017 and 2021. The latest report also finds the maximum crime offenders in 2021 were expatriates as they constituted 51 percent while Omani offenders made up the remaining 49 percent.
In 2017, the number of criminal offences reached 14,826 while the number of offenders reached 20,797. The next year, the number of crimes reached 14,726 with the offenders reaching 21,318. It was the highest number between 2017 and 2021.
In 2019, the number of offenders were 20,967 while the crimes recorded were 14,871. However, a sharp decline was witnessed in 2021 with the number of crimes falling to 11,312, the lowest during 2017-2021 period. The number of offenders in 2021 were 16,672, also the lowest during the four-year cycle.
In 2021, the number of crimes witnessed a slight increase as 12,812 offences were registered, which meant 3 criminal acts per 1,000 population. The number of offenders rose to 18,357.
Despite the relative rise in numbers in 2021, the number of offenders were still far less than what was seen in 2017, when 20,797 cases were registered.
The Sultanate also recorded an increase in the number of crimes in 2021 by 13% compared to 2020.
Muscat Governorate recorded the highest number of crimes at a rate of 37.3 percent, with offenders making up 34.4 percent.
North Al Batinah Governorate had the second highest crime rate of 16.4 percent and the offenders made up 16.5 percent.
Dhofar Governorate recorded a crime rate of 13.2 percent and 15.6 percent was the number of offenders. South Al Batinah Governorate recorded a crime rate of 8.9 percent and had a total of 9 percent of offenders. Al Dakhiliyah Governorate was among the governorates that had a low percentage of crime rate (6.8 percent) and offenders (6.3 percent).
The governorates of North and South Al Sharqiyah had a crime rate of 4.7 percent followed by Al Buraimi Governorate with 3 percent crime rate.
Al Dhahirah Governorate witnessed 2.6 percent crimes and an equal number of offenders while Al Wusta Governorate had a crime rate of 1.5 percent and 1.9 percent of offenders.
Musandam Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman had the lowest percentage of crime rate, amounting to 0.9 percent and only 1.2 percent of offenders.
Among the crimes committed in 2021, money-related offences were the highest with 32.2 percent. Crimes against individuals were second with 22.6 percent, law violations were 17.3 percent and drug-related crimes stood at 13.4 percent.
Among the lowest crimes in the Sultanate of Oman in 2021 were crimes against public administration and breaching public trust as they amounted to 4.9 percent, drinking and alcohol crimes were 2.9 percent, crimes against honour and public morals were 2.2 percent, and unlawful use of weapons and ammunition were 0.2 percent.
