The Sultanate of Oman's pension system has achieved a 9-point increase in its overall score in the 2026 Mercer Global Pension Index, rising from category C+ to category B. This advancement places Oman among 21 countries out of a total of 55 systems in this index.
Improvement in Sub-Indicators
The index includes three main sub-indicators: adequacy, sustainability, and integrity, all of which have improved. Oman is one of five pension systems in the world that has seen its classification improve in this version of the index. Its adequacy score is particularly noteworthy, having reached category A.
Kotah Khamis Al-Bartamani, Director of Planning and Follow-up Vision at the Social Support Fund of Oman, explained that the Mercer Global Pension Index is one of the specialized international indices for assessing retirement income systems. This index evaluates the performance of the system across a wide range of criteria and indicators. The 2026 version of this index includes 55 pension systems globally, representing approximately 66% of the world's population.
Analysis of Results and Development Opportunities
He added that the results show improvement at the overall index level and all its sub-indicators. Oman's overall score has increased from 60.9 in 2025 to 69.9 in 2026. In terms of sub-indicators, the adequacy of benefits scored 80.3 points, ranking 10th globally. Sustainability scored 54.7 points, ranking 28th globally, and the integrity criterion scored 74.8 points, ranking 37th globally.
Benefit adequacy is considered one of the fundamental pillars in assessing any pension system, as it examines the system's capacity to provide an appropriate level of income and protection for beneficiaries. Oman's result in this regard is particularly significant due to the high weight of the adequacy criterion in calculating the overall index.
He also stated that the improvement in Oman's index score is related to the increase in the minimum pension relative to wages, which is more representative of wages. This system combines core benefits with benefits related to national employment and provides a strong mobility rate across various income levels. These factors contribute to the improvement of the system's status.
Kotah Khamis Al-Bartamani emphasized that the importance of these results lies in their comprehensiveness. The assessment of the pension system cannot be based solely on the level of benefits, and sustainability cannot be viewed separately from the level of protection received by beneficiaries. Studying the results in terms of adequacy, sustainability, and integrity provides a more balanced view of the system's performance.
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