Morocco records a significant decline in multidimensional poverty

Morocco has experienced a remarkable decrease in the poverty level for more than two decades, improving the standard of living of the population, despite certain obstacles impacting the country's economy, such as geopolitical tensions or climate change. 

The multidimensional poverty rate in the Kingdom recorded a significant decrease from 40% in 2001 to 9.1% in 2014 and finally to 5.7% in 2022, according to data provided by the High Planning Commission. 

According to a statement from the agency recently published by the official Moroccan news agency (MAP), the average standard of living of Moroccan families, as measured by their consumer spending, has amounted to 83.7 thousand dirhams (8.17 thousand dollars) per year. According to the statistics obtained, the level of poverty in the villages decreased over the last two decades, from 73.4% in 2001 to 19.4% in 2014 and then to 11.2% in 2022.    

As for cities, after a sharp fall from around 13.8% in 2001 to 2.2% in 2014, the level of multidimensional poverty increased slightly to 2.6% in 2022. 

At the regional level, poverty declined in all regions, especially in the areas of Tangier-Tetouan Al Hoceima, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, Sus-Massa, Casablanca-Settat, Marrakech-Safi and Draa-Tafilalet, where the average annual decline exceeded 10%. 

Despite this decrease, the regions of Beni Mellal-Khenifra and Fez-Meknes will remain the poorest, with a poverty rate above 10%. 

The agency explained in the communiqué "The evolution of the livelihoods of the population in the light of the results of the national survey on the standard of living of families for the year 2022" that this positive evolution is mainly due to the sharp decline in multidimensional poverty in the countryside. 

The survey on the standard of living of households is part of the structural survey conducted by the High Commission for Planning. It is the fourth version of the survey to be carried out after the surveys conducted in 1991, 1999 and 2007. The main objective of the study is to understand social and economic transformations by monitoring the development of the level and structure of household consumption and income expenditure.   

The results also provided a detailed analysis of the evolution of living standards and consumption patterns among Moroccans, as well as an analysis of phenomena related to poverty, fragility and social disparities across the country. 

On the other hand, the Policy Centre for the New South (PCNS) has also recently produced a report on this issue, indicating that poverty in the Kingdom fell from 14% in 2012 to 9.6% in 2019. In addition, the PCNS has noted that the Moroccan middle class has also strengthened in recent years. In 2012, the middle class represented 53% of the total population, while seven years later, this percentage increased considerably, reaching 61%.