SESRIC launched the “Prospects and Challenges of OIC Member Countries: SWOT Outlook 2023” during the 12^th Session of the OIC-StatCom in a hybrid format in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with warm welcoming of General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It provides quick facts across multiple socio-economic areas to shed light on the performance and potentials of OIC countries as a group based on the most recent available data. The 2023 edition has been enriched with new indicators.

The report uses a novel approach based on the SWOT methodology to present profiles of the group of OIC countries from the perspective of strengths and weaknesses they have, and opportunities and threats they face in various areas. The 2023 edition of the SWOT Outlook reflects the situation of the group of OIC countries in four main sections with easily understandable explanatory texts with on-focus charts.

The report shows that major strengths of the OIC countries are high young population, possessing a significant portion of the world’s crude oil and natural gas reserves, hosting the majority of Islamic financial assets, having diversity of cultural heritage, and controlling 6 out of 8 primary maritime choke points in the world. The increasing trends in personal remittances, intra-OIC trade, and diversification in export products are some of the opportunities for the OIC countries that should be transformed into higher economic growth and development levels.

On the other hand, lower enrolment rates in education, higher child mortality rates, underutilisation of labour force, lower annual labour productivity growth rates, lack of sufficient funding for scientific development, and inadequate physical and digital infrastructure are main weaknesses that should be overcome. Increasing external debt, water scarcity and low access to improved water resources and sanitation facilities, rapid deforestation, food insecurity, unsustainable urbanisation, conflicts, and increasing number of refugees are also main threats that are likely to impose serious challenges and thus, necessitate urgent countermeasures.

By presenting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in a comparative manner with the averages of non-OIC developing, developed countries, and the world, the SWOT Outlook 2023 serves as a reference material for better strategic planning and policy making at the OIC level.

Online Electronic Version

• Prospects and Challenges of OIC Member Countries: SWOT Outlook 2023 (English)