Perspectives of young people in Morocco: quality of life assessment and economic optimism

A recent Arab Barometer report has brought to light some interesting data on Moroccan youth's perception of their quality of life compared to that of their parents. As reported by Morocco World News, the report, entitled 'Youth Perspectives: Quality of Life and Economic Conditions', was published in two parts on the Arab Barometer blog, 'Arab Pulse', and involved examining the opinions of people in 12 Arab countries on their quality of life according to age and gender. 

The results reveal that less than half of respondents aged 18-29 (39%) believe that their quality of life has improved compared to that of their parents. In contrast, only 35% of those over 30 share the same sentiment. In addition, 49% of younger respondents (18-29) are optimistic about their children's future and expect a better quality of life for them. Among those over 30, 40% believe that their children will have a better quality of life. 

Regarding the country's economic situation, the older generations showed a slightly higher level of optimism, with 34% of those over 30 considering the economic situation as "good or very good". On the other hand, 32% of the younger generations shared the same positive view. 

Breaking down the results by gender, the report revealed that 40% of women in the younger age group perceived a better quality of life compared to their parents, while the figure was 38% for men; demonstrating that women aged 18-29 notice more improvements in modern times compared to the situation of their predecessors. However, when it comes to the economic situation and general quality of life, both sexes showed similar levels of optimism. 

Interestingly, the results challenge the notion that the outlook of young people in the region differs significantly from that of the older generation, as suggested by the author of the blog series, Maitha Alsuwaidi. However, the research did identify more marked variations between genders in countries with higher levels of conflict, such as Sudan, which raises the need for further research into the underlying causes of these differences.