The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf, known as GCC-STAT, has released new data showing that member states have achieved 100 per cent coverage of basic health services for adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24. That figure sits well above the global average of 68 per cent.
The same data shows GCC countries have also reached full, 100 per cent compliance with basic national regulations covering adolescent and youth health, compared with a global average of just 84 per cent. The report estimates that around 12.8 million adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 and 24 were living in GCC countries in 2025, a group that makes up 20 per cent of the region's total population.
The findings cover two key areas: the provision of basic healthcare services and the existence of national regulations protecting this age group's health. GCC states mark Gulf Adolescent and Youth Health Day every year on September 30 to highlight the importance of investing in young people's health and expanding preventive care programmes.
The release of this data underscores a broader trend in the Gulf region's public health policy, where, despite a growing youth population, access and regulatory indicators have climbed above global benchmarks.