Economic Powerhouses of Morocco: A Glimpse into Regional Wealth Distribution

In 2022, Morocco’s economic landscape displayed significant regional disparities. A staggering 57.9% of the national wealth was generated by just three regions.

These regions were Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima. Casablanca-Settat, taking the lead, contributed 31.4% to the national GDP, highlighting its role as the economic engine of the country.

Rabat-Salé-Kénitra followed with 16.1%, and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima rounded out the trio with 10.4%. These figures reflect a concentrated power base, leaving other regions trailing significantly.

The regions of Marrakech-Safi, Fès-Meknès, Souss-Massa, Béni Mellal-Khénifra, and the Oriental collectively added up to 33.5% of the GDP.

In stark contrast, the economically slower regions of Drâa-Tafilalet and the three southern regions managed only a slim 7.9% share.

This wealth concentration has intensified regional economic disparities. The average absolute gap between regional GDPs widened slightly from 72 billion dirhams (7.44 billion dollars) in 2021.

It increased to 73.1 billion dirhams (7.55 billion dollars) in 2022. These figures underscore the unequal economic growth rates across the regions.

Regional Economic Disparities in Morocco

In 2022, Morocco’s national economy grew by a modest 1.5%. However, four regions exceeded this growth rate.

Souss-Massa led with a growth rate of 7.5%. Rabat-Salé-Kénitra followed with 5.2%, Marrakech-Safi at 4.6%, and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra at 2.9%.

Conversely, six regions reported growth below the national average, with Casablanca-Settat barely moving at 0.2%.

However, not all regions fared well. Béni Mellal-Khénifra and Fès-Meknès experienced economic contractions with GDP decreases of 4.7% and 1.9%, respectively.

The total GDP of Morocco reached 1,296 billion dirhams (133.9 billion dollars) in volume in 2022, marking a growth of 1.5% from the previous year.

In addition, the current-price GDP stood at 1,330.5 billion dirhams (137.4 billion dollars), reflecting a rise of 4.2%.

In short, this analysis underscores the significant economic inequality that exists between Morocco’s regions, highlighting the challenge of fostering equitable growth across the country.

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