(GCC Statistical Center): Youth and young adults account for 20% of GCC population in 2025

Muscat, October 13 (KUNA) -- The Statistical Office of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries stated that the number of adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24 in GCC member states reached approximately 12.8 million in 2025, accounting for 20 percent of the total population. In a statistical bulletin issued on Tuesday to mark the GCC Youth and Adolescent Health Day, which fell on September 30, the Center noted that this proportion “reflects the significant demographic size of this group and its role as an influential human resource shaping the future of the region’s countries.”

The Center highlighted that GCC countries achieved a 100 percent rate in providing basic health services to adolescents and young people, surpassing the global average of 68 percent, which demonstrates “the expanded scope of basic health coverage targeted at this demographic in GCC states.” It further pointed out that GCC countries also attained a 100 percent rate in implementing essential national regulations for adolescents and young people, compared to a global average of 84 percent, “highlighting the existence of supportive national frameworks and regulations addressing youth and adolescent health issues in the GCC.”

The Center emphasized that these indicators reflect two main dimensions of attention to youth and adolescent health: the first involves the availability of basic health services, while the second pertains to the presence of essential national regulatory frameworks that provide a supportive structure to protect this group’s health and enhance their access to care and health services. In this regard, it stressed the importance of continuing investment in the health of younger generations, strengthening prevention and health awareness initiatives, developing services targeted at them, and supporting national policies and regulations that respond to their health needs, thereby contributing to building a healthier Gulf community capable of sustaining its development trajectory.

It is worth noting that the Statistical Office of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, was established in 2011 to serve as the official authorized body for data, information, and statistics related to GCC member states, in addition to its role in enhancing statistical and informational efforts among national statistical centers and planning authorities within these countries. (End) M.J.B./G.A.