Morocco, an optimal country for business start-ups
Morocco has moved up five places in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's (GEM) national entrepreneurial context ranking (IECN), according to the GEM 2023-2024 Global Report presented on 13 February at the Hassan II University in Casablanca.
The Kingdom now ranks 30th in this ranking after scoring higher in 8 of the 13 Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions (EFCs) compared to 2022. This increase is the largest increase in the category relating to government policy.
GEM surveys experts in each country to assess the EFCs on a scale from 0 (very inadequate) to 10 (very adequate). Morocco's overall NECI score remained unchanged from 2022, at 4.3, but its ranking rose from 35th to 30th thanks to larger drops in other countries. Morocco's lowest score was only 2.1 in the category related to entrepreneurship education in schools.
New GEM questions in 2023 looked at social support and access to resources for women entrepreneurs. On these items, the Kingdom scored 2.9 for social support, ranking 41st, and 4.9 for access to resources for men, ranking 29th.
The launch of the Global GEM Report at Hassan II University was attended by GEM teams from around the world and Moroccan leaders. The event coincided with the 25th anniversary of GEM, which has surveyed nearly 4 million entrepreneurs worldwide since 1999.
GEM surveys adults on their attitudes, activities and aspirations related to entrepreneurship. In Morocco, 40% said that their household income would decrease in 2023, compared to 60% in 2021. 45% knew someone who had recently started a business, while 70% saw good opportunities locally. About a quarter intend to start a business in the next three years.
The rate of early-stage entrepreneurial activity was 6.3% of adults, compared to 4.2% in 2022. Men were almost twice as likely as women to start new businesses. Moreover, 80% of entrepreneurs cited the need to earn a living due to job shortages as their motivation.
Morocco boosts entrepreneurship
Morocco is an important case study for policymakers in promoting youth entrepreneurship. Major new programmes such as Forsa and Awrach aim to help more than 250,000 young entrepreneurs and job seekers, recalls Morocco World News. The GEM data helps research and decisions on promoting entrepreneurship in the North African nation.
"The assessments and findings are very useful for researchers, academics, policy makers and government as they develop strategic interventions to promote entrepreneurship in Morocco," said Abdellatif Komat, dean of Hassan II University in Casablanca.
The GEM Morocco team has conducted annual surveys since 2015. This consortium of national research teams associated with leading academic institutions conducts more than 150,000 interviews annually in more than 120 national economies. With the participation of more than 370 specialists and 150 academic institutions, GEM has the world's largest dataset on individual entrepreneurs.
Its efforts have produced the first GEM Global Report launched in Africa, providing a basis for highlighting future opportunities for expanded studies across the continent.
