The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) consists of 57 member countries, often referred to as the “Muslim World” or Islamic Nations. Founded in 1969, the OIC was established following the reactions of the Islamic world to the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, a significant holy site in Islam, located in Israeli-occupied Jerusalem. Originally called the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the OIC is now the second-largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations, encompassing 57 member states across four continents.
Of the 57 member countries, 48 are Muslim-majority nations. The OIC serves as the collective voice of the Muslim world. In Asia, the OIC includes 27 member countries, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the Maldives in South Asia, as well as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan in Central Asia. The Middle East, or West Asia, hosts 14 OIC members, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Oman, Yemen, UAE, and Qatar. Southeast Asia contributes three members: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei Darussalam. The total land area of OIC members in Asia is approximately 14.2 million square kilometres, or about 32% of the continent’s total area.
In Africa, the OIC comprises 27 countries as well. Seven Islamic nations from North Africa are Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Sudan, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Morocco. In sub-Saharan Africa, 19 OIC members include Somalia, Uganda, Djibouti, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Gabon, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Comoros, Mozambique, and Guinea. The total area of these African OIC countries covers approximately 1.71 million square kilometres, making up about 56.6% of Africa’s landmass.
In South America, the OIC has two member countries, Guyana and Suriname. The combined area of these countries is about 379,000 square kilometres, or approximately 21% of the South American continent. In Europe, Albania is the only OIC member, with an area of around 29,000 square kilometres, representing 0.27% of Europe’s total land area.
The 57 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) span across four continents, making up more than a quarter of the 193 member states of the United Nations. The total land area of OIC members is approximately 31.8 million square kilometres, or 21.3% of the Earth’s total land area (14.96 million square kilometres).
As of November 27, 2024, Asia’s population stands at 4.82 billion, accounting for 59.05% of the global population. The 27 Asian OIC countries have a combined population of 1.25 billion, or 26% of Asia’s total population—roughly a quarter of the continent’s population. Similarly, the 27 African OIC countries have a population of 85 million, making up 55% of Africa’s total population.
The two South American OIC members, Guyana and Suriname, have a combined population of 1.45 million, or 0.33% of South America’s total population. Albania, the only OIC member in Europe, has a population of 2.8 million, or about 0.4% of Europe’s total population.
In total, the population of the 57 OIC member countries exceeds 2.1 billion, or approximately 26% of the world’s total population.
In summary, the global population stands at 8.2 billion. The population of OIC countries is as follows:
- OIC Asia: 1.25 billion
- OIC Africa: 85 million
- OIC South America: 1.45 million
- OIC Europe: 2.8 million
Altogether, the total population of OIC countries is 2.1 billion, accounting for approximately 26% of the world’s total population. This means that one in every four people globally belongs to an OIC member country.
GDP of these OIC member countries in relation to the Global GDP
The total global GDP in 2023 stands at 104 trillion USD, while the combined GDP of OIC member countries is 8.885 trillion USD, accounting for approximately 8.4% of the world’s GDP. The GDP of OIC countries is three times smaller than that of the United States, the world’s largest economy, at 27.36 trillion USD. It is also nearly half of China’s GDP, which is 17.79 trillion USD, making it the second-largest economy globally. Germany, the world’s third-largest economy, has a GDP of 4.46 trillion USD- just half that of the OIC member countries- despite its total area land area being 100 times smaller than the combined area of the 57 OIC member states.
Out of the 57 OIC member countries, the combined GDP of 14 oil-rich Islamic states in the Middle East is 3.99 trillion USD, accounting for half of the total GDP of all OIC member states. The remaining 43 OIC countries collectively contribute only 4.8 trillion USD to the global economy—roughly equivalent to Germany’s GDP of 4.46 trillion USD. In other words, the GDP of these 43 OIC nations is comparable to that of Germany alone.
If we exclude the GDP of Malaysia (0.399 trillion USD), Egypt (0.395 trillion USD), and Bangladesh (0.437 trillion USD) in addition to the Middle Eastern countries, the combined GDP of the remaining OIC members drops to just 3.6 trillion USD. This figure matches India’s GDP of 3.57 trillion USD, the world’s fifth-largest economy. In summary, the total GDP of 40 OIC member countries, excluding the Middle East, Malaysia, Egypt, and Bangladesh, stands at only 3.6 trillion USD.
The Per Capita GDP of OIC member countries (2023)
When comparing the per capita GDP of the 57 OIC member countries to the rest of the world, only seven countries—Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brunei Darussalam, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman—rank among the top 50 nations globally in terms of per capita GDP. On the other hand, a significant number of OIC nations fall at the lower end of the spectrum. Of the bottom 50 countries worldwide in per capita GDP, 25 are OIC members, including Pakistan, which is also part of this group.
Summary:
- Among the top 50 countries in per capita GDP: Only seven OIC member countries qualify.
- Among the bottom 50 countries in per capita GDP: 25 OIC member countries are included.
Military Strength of 57 OIC Member Countries: A Global Comparison
The total defence budget of OIC member countries in 2023 amounts to 232 billion USD, which is lower than China’s defence budget of 296 billion USD and four times smaller than the United States’ defence budget of 916 billion USD.
Among the OIC members’ combined defence budget of 232 billion USD, four countries—Saudi Arabia (75.8 billion USD), UAE (25 billion USD), Turkey (16 billion USD), and Qatar (15.4 billion USD)—account for a significant share. Excluding these four, the total defence budget of the remaining 53 OIC member countries is approximately 100 billion USD, which is less than Russia’s defence budget of 109 billion USD.
If we further subtract the defence budgets of Iran (10.3 billion USD) and Kuwait (6.1 billion USD), the remaining 51 OIC member countries collectively allocate only 83.4 billion USD to defence—equivalent to India’s defence budget of 83.6 billion USD.
A Global Companion: Science, Research, and Literature in the 57 OIC member countries
The Nobel Prize, established in 1901 by Alfred Nobel, has seen only 22 laureates from the 57 OIC member countries over the past 124 years. Out of these, 10 are recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Surprisingly, the total number of Nobel Laureates from these 57 OIC countries is equal to that of the small European country, the Netherlands, which has a population of just around 17 million. In contrast, Germany alone boasts 115 Nobel Laureates, five times the total number from the OIC countries. The United States leads with 420 Nobel Laureates, nearly 19 times more than all the OIC member countries combined.
Comparison of 57 OIC Member Countries with the World, Based on United Nations Social and Economic Development Criteria
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite measure that evaluates a country’s average achievements in three key areas of human development: health, knowledge, and standard of living. The HDI ranking is based on the following criteria:
- Health: Measured by life expectancy at birth.
- Knowledge: Measured by the mean years of schooling for adults and the expected years of schooling for children.
- Standard of living: Measured by gross national income (GNI) per capita in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, in USD.
In the 2022 HDI rankings, only six OIC member countries—Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain, and Kuwait—are listed among the top 50 countries globally. In contrast, 25 OIC member countries appear in the bottom 50, including nations such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Sudan, and Chad. These countries often face challenges such as political instability, low income levels, limited access to healthcare and education, and inadequate infrastructure.
The 2024 World Justice Project report provided an overview of the rule of law status across countries worldwide
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to advancing the rule of law worldwide. The rule of law, as defined by the WJP, promotes accountability, fair laws, transparent governance, and accessible justice. These principles aim to establish equitable systems that fight corruption, protect rights, and foster justice, health, and opportunity globally. According to the 2024 World Justice Project report, only one OIC member country, the UAE, ranks among the top 50 countries for rule of law. In contrast, 23 OIC member countries are listed among the bottom 50. Additionally, several key Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Iraq, lack available data on the rule of law, which is concerning and reflects negatively on their global standing.
Regrettably, the Islamic World is falling behind the rest of the world in the field of sports as well
In the past five editions of the Olympic Games, OIC member countries have ranked among the top 20 medal-winning nations only twice. In the 2024 Olympics, Uzbekistan secured 13th place on the medal table with 13 medals, while Iran ranked 12th in the 2012 Olympics, also with 13 medals.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks the world’s most peaceful countries and territories, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators, such as ongoing conflicts, societal safety and security, and militarisation. It provides data-driven insights into global peacefulness, its economic impact, and how to build peaceful societies. According to the 2024 GPI, the most peaceful countries were Iceland, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, Malaysia, and Canada. Of these 11 peaceful countries, only one, Malaysia, is an OIC member.
On the other hand, the least peaceful countries in 2024 included Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Congo, Russia, Syria, Israel, and Mali. Out of these 17 least peaceful countries, 9 are OIC member states. Pakistan ranks just one place above the least peaceful countries, while India has improved to 116th globally.
World Happiness Report (WHI)
The World Happiness Index (WHI) is a global ranking of happiness based on survey data from over 150 countries. It evaluates happiness using six key factors:
- Social support: The level of assistance citizens give and receive from each other.
- Income: Real GDP per capita.
- Health: Healthy life expectancy.
- Freedom: The freedom to make life choices without social consequences.
- Generosity: Human connection through empathy and kindness.
- Absence of corruption: Public perceptions of corruption.
The WHI is published annually on the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness.
In the 2024 WHI report, only five OIC member countries—Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan—ranked among the top 50 happiest nations. Conversely, 30 of the 50 least happy countries are OIC members. Pakistan is part of this group, ranked 108th. India ranked 126th out of 143 countries.
The status OIC member countries from the perspective of businessmen and large corporations, compared to other countries worldwide
In the 2023-24 revenue rankings, only one company from the Islamic world, Saudi Aramco, makes it into the top 100. Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, is a leader in petroleum and natural gas. It ranks as the fourth-largest company globally by revenue, with the second-largest proven crude oil reserves and the highest daily oil production. This year, Saudi Aramco generated 495 billion USD in revenue, making it the third-largest company by revenue, following Walmart and Amazon.
In terms of innovation, soft power, and corruption, OIC member countries generally rank among the lowest globally
The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024 ranks Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States as the top three countries for innovation, excelling in research, technology, and creative outputs. India is ranked 40th, while countries in the Islamic world are generally found at the lower end of the rankings.
The Global Soft Power Index 2024 places the United States at the top, followed by the United Kingdom and China, based on their influence in culture, diplomacy, and global leadership. India ranks 29th, notable for its regional influence.
In the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023, most countries have made minimal progress in addressing public sector corruption. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories on their perceived levels of corruption, with scores ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Denmark leads the index for the sixth consecutive year with a score of 90, followed by Finland and New Zealand with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. These countries also score highly on the Rule of Law Index, thanks to well-functioning justice systems.
At the other end of the spectrum, several OIC member countries are ranked among the most corrupt, including Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, and Yemen, with scores of 11, 13, 13, and 13, respectively. These nations are largely affected by prolonged crises, mostly armed conflicts. Pakistan ranks 133rd, while India is ranked 93rd out of 180 countries in the CPI 2023.
Interestingly, despite OIC member countries generally ranking low on various international indices and parameters, there is one area where they outperform the rest of the world: fertility rates. Among the top 20 countries with the highest fertility rates, 15 are OIC member countries, with a fertility rate of more than four births per woman. Although Islamic teachings generally support birth control, and some Muslim-majority countries have family planning programs, many Muslims either feel uncomfortable using contraceptives or lack access to them. Fertility rates are closely linked to education, income levels, and access to healthcare and socio-economic development. Additionally, cultural, social, and economic factors play a significant role in influencing fertility rates.
It’s important to note that while the term “Muslim World” or “Islamic Nations” is commonly used, not all OIC member countries are Muslim-majority. For instance, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo, Gabon, Mozambique, Uganda, and Guyana are not Muslim-majority countries, yet they are members of the OIC. Additionally, Bosnia, with an approximately 51% Muslim population, is not included in the 57 OIC member countries, as it is not a member of the organisation.
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