Country
assessments
A-Z
Country assessments A-Z
Morocco
Key findings in 2015
| Percentage of respondents who agree with the following statements | Morocco | SEMED | Transition region | Western Europe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic situation good or excellent | 34 | 27 | 22 | 34 |
| Economic situation in the country improving | 67 | 44 | 29 | 36 |
| Economic situation in the area or city improving | 42 | 35 | 32 | 35 |
| Good time to find a job | 19 | 27 | 25 | 34 |
| Comfortable living on present income | 20 | 15 | 17 | 36 |
“SEMED” refers to the average of four countries: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. “Western Europe” refers to the average of five comparator countries: France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Regional averages in the country assessments are based on population-weighted averages of the country scores.
Satisfaction with the economic situation and with personal circumstances
34 per cent of Moroccans report that the economic situation is “good” or “excellent”, on par with western Europe and higher than the averages for the SEMED and the transition regions. Moroccans are also optimistic about future economic developments: 67 per cent of respondents believe that the national economy is improving. This figure is above the corresponding average for the SEMED region, the transition region, and the western European comparator countries. However, only 19 per cent believe that 2015 was a good time to find a job. This figure is below the averages for all other regions. In contrast, 20 per cent of respondents state that they can live comfortably on their income – the highest figure for this question in the SEMED region.
Only 32 per cent of Moroccans report that they are satisfied with their lives – a fall by 4 percentage points compared to 2011. It is also below the averages for the SEMED region (35 per cent), the transition region (43 per cent), and the Western European comparator countries (74 per cent). However, 68 per cent of respondents are optimistic that they will be more satisfied with their lives in five years’ time.
Trust in institutions
Only 60 per cent of Moroccans report that the media has a lot of freedom in their country. This figure is the lowest in the SEMED region and decreased by five percentage points compared to 2011. In addition, it is well below the average for the Western European comparator countries (85 per cent).
About 81 per cent of Moroccans think that corruption is widespread in businesses. This is the highest figure in the SEMED region and also substantially higher than the western European average (54 per cent). It is nevertheless still slightly below the transition region average (84 per cent).
Channels of communication
17 per cent of Moroccans have a landline telephone in their homes. This compares well with the SEMED region average but is well below the transition region (47 per cent) and the western European averages (78 per cent). 84 per cent of Moroccans have a mobile phone for personal use – the lowest figure in the SEMED region and, again, below the transition region (90 per cent) and the western European averages (92 per cent). On the bright side, internet access (54 per cent) is the highest in the SEMED region. Nevertheless, it still lags behind the transition region (63 per cent) and the western European averages (90 per cent). Male respondents and younger people are more likely to report that they have a mobile phone and access to the internet. Additional analysis indicates that women are less likely to use the internet than men.
Self-assessed health
71 per cent of Moroccans respondents consider their current health status to be “near perfect”, the highest figure in the sample. Respondents in the upper income group are more likely to report to be in near perfect health (77 per cent) than their counterparts in the lower and middle income brackets (65 and 71 per cent, respectively).
Quality of public services
Compared with the SEMED region as a whole, Moroccans are more satisfied with the quality of roads and highways (51 per cent), air (74 per cent), water (68 per cent), and the availability of affordable housing (45 per cent). The satisfaction with the public transportation system (55 per cent) compares well with the SEMED region, while the satisfaction with the educational system (41 per cent) and the quality of healthcare (27 per cent) are lower. However, satisfaction with public services is lower across the board than in western Europe.
Social and economic mobility
97 per cent of Moroccans believe that people in their country can get ahead by hard work. Compared to 2011, this figure has increased by 8 percentage points. There is also little variation across different gender, age and income groups.
Gender and inclusion
65 per cent of Moroccans believe that women are treated with respect and dignity in their country, a fall from 77 per cent in 2011. Besides, 58 per cent of respondents think that their city or area is good for immigrants. This figure is slightly higher than the averages for the SEMED and the transition regions. However, it is 11 percentage points below the level registered in 2011.
Satisfaction with the government
Moroccans are relatively satisfied with their government’s efforts to assist the poor and to protect the environment (44 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively).
Civic engagement
Only 4 per cent of Moroccans report that they donated to a charity in the month before the survey. In addition, 9 per cent report that they volunteered for an organization in the month before the survey. 55 per cent of respondents, however, state that they helped a stranger. The figures for donation and volunteering are well below the averages for the transition region and the western European comparator countries.