Vehicle sales exceeded 161,000 units in Morocco during 2023

The Association of Moroccan Vehicle Importers (AIVAM) announced earlier this week that sales of new vehicles in Morocco reached 161,504 units in 2023, an increase of 0.1% compared to the previous year, according to Morocco World News reports.

Adil Bennani, president of AIVAM, provided these figures during a press conference in Casablanca, where he also shared data on global sales of new vehicles in Morocco during 2023.

According to Bennani, vehicle sales last year marked a slight rebound compared to the 161,410 vehicles sold in 2022.​

The president of AIVAM links this small growth to the complex macroeconomic panorama that affects demand and the gradual recovery of supply. Amid this difficult economic environment, the automotive market has managed to experience a 0.1% year-on-year increase in sales.

Breaking down the annual sales figures, passenger vehicles (VP) reached 145,292 units, compared to 143,186 in 2022, while light commercial vehicles (LCV) totaled 16,212, compared to 18,224 sold the previous year.

Likewise, Bennani highlighted the dominance of the Dacia brand within the urban vehicle category, as well as the solid growth of sport utility vehicles (SUV), which experienced an increase of 6.9%, indicating the continued enthusiasm of consumers for this type of cars.

Regarding financing and profiles of buyers and clients, Bennani revealed that 55% of sales corresponded to credit operations. It noted a 30% increase in vehicle prices over the past three years and highlighted that 17% of buyers were under 30 years old, with the average age of buyers hovering around 43 years old.

In terms of propulsion types, gasoline-powered vehicles saw a decline of 0.8%, capturing 14% of the market share in 2023, while diesel vehicles increased by 0.7% to secure a market share of 85.8%.

In 2023, the Moroccan market witnessed the introduction of 24 brands and 82 models, up from 18 brands and 71 models in 2022.

Within the national territory, Casablanca led passenger vehicle sales last year with a market share of 40.7%, experiencing a slight decrease of 2% compared to 2022. Rabat followed with a modest growth of 1.1 %, securing a market share of 10.7%, while Agadir (7.9%) maintained its third position ahead of Marrakech (7%).

Looking ahead, Bennani anticipated that 2024 would be a year marked by uncertainty, citing logistical challenges, the resurgence of competition and efforts to support gross domestic product through public demand.