Oman Ranks 68th in Digital Quality of Life Index 2025, Slips From Last Year

Oman has been ranked 68th globally in Surfshark’s Digital Quality of Life Index 2025, slipping from 56th place in last year’s edition, according to the latest findings released by the Netherlands-headquartered cybersecurity company.

The annual index evaluates 121 countries across five core pillars: internet affordability, internet quality, digital infrastructure, digital security, and a newly introduced artificial intelligence (AI) category that measures readiness for AI adoption and investment.

Within the GCC, the UAE led the rankings at 44th place, followed by Qatar (46th), Saudi Arabia (49th), Bahrain (55th), Oman (68th), and Kuwait (73rd). Finland topped the global index overall, while the United States ranked first in AI performance despite placing 16th globally.

Oman recorded its strongest performance in digital infrastructure, ranking 40th worldwide. The sultanate placed 55th in internet affordability, 70th in internet quality, and 60th globally in AI, outperforming 61 other countries in the new category.

Digital security remained a key challenge, with Oman ranking 89th, slightly lower than last year. While it performed better than the UAE (95th) in this category, it lagged behind Saudi Arabia, which ranked 59th. The digital security pillar assesses how protected users are from cyber threats and data risks.

Internet speeds in Oman remain below the global average. Fixed broadband speeds average 140Mbps, compared to Singapore’s global-leading 463Mbps. Mobile internet speeds stand at 185Mbps, while the UAE leads worldwide at 576Mbps. However, Oman recorded notable improvements, with mobile internet speeds rising 45% year-on-year and fixed broadband speeds increasing by 26%.

In terms of affordability, Oman ranked in the mid-range. Users need to work approximately five hours and 25 minutes per month to afford fixed broadband services, compared to just 11 minutes and 26 seconds in Bulgaria, the world’s most affordable market. For mobile internet, Omanis need to work around 38 minutes per month, which is below the global average but significantly higher than Angola, the cheapest mobile internet market.

Europe continues to dominate global digital wellbeing rankings, with Finland, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland occupying top positions. Singapore entered the global top 10 this year. In the AI category, the US led globally, followed by Singapore and South Korea, while European AI leaders included the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The Digital Quality of Life Index is compiled using open-source data from institutions including the United Nations, the World Bank, and other international organizations.