L’demographic change plays a key role in this dynamic. The average number of people per household has seen a steady reduction, from 4.6 people in 2014 to 3.9 in 2024. This decrease affects both urban (3.7 people) and rural areas (4.4 people ). This structural trend facilitates the emergence of households led by women, often composed of a small number of members.
Despite this positive development, households headed by women continue to face considerable economic challenges. Although the activity rate of women has increased, it still remains low, at 16.8% in 2024, compared to 47.6% for the entire active population. This has a direct impact on the income of female-headed households, which is often lower than the national average.
Geographic distribution and regional disparities
Regions with high urbanization, such as Casablanca-Settat and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, concentrate the majority of households headed by women. However, in rural and landlocked regions, gaps remain marked, due to poor access to economic and social opportunities for women.
Female-headed households display varying levels of spending, often reflecting gaps in socioeconomic and access to resources. The modernization of housing and the decline in household size indicate a transition towards a more adapted living environment, particularly in urban areas.
The steady rise in households headed by women illustrates their increasingly central role in the family economy and society. However, targeted support policies are needed to guarantee women’s economic empowerment, particularly through access to employment, education and social services.
Increasingly small households
As of September 1, 2024, the number of households amounts to 9,275,038 compared to 7,313,806 in 2014, thus displaying an average annual growth rate of 2.4% compared to 2.6% during the period 2004-2014. This increase in households occurred at a much faster rate than that of the population (2.4% compared to 0.85%). As a result, the average household size, expressed by the average number of people per household, decreased from 4.6 people in 2014 to 3.9 in 2024. This decline is observed in both areas of residence, from 4.2 to 3.7 people in urban areas and from 5.3 to 4.4 people in rural areas.
