In Morocco, women are more inclined to learn languages than men. Unveiled as part of the 2024 general population and housing census (RGPH), data from the High Commission for Planning (HCP) confirm this trend. In figures, 21.3% of the literate population aged 10 and over, knowing how to read and write in the three languages, is made up of women and girls, compared to 18.4% for men and boys.
Literate women aged 10 and over and mastering three languages mainly dominate urban areas, with 25.3% compared to 23.2% for men. In rural areas, this overall share is 9.3%, with 10.7% among women and 8.3% among men.
Women are taking the lead, in urban and rural areas
By region, women continue to excel in the largest urban areas. Indeed, more of them know how to read and write Arabic, French and English, in cities like Casablanca and Rabat.
In the Casablanca-Settat region, more than 7 million inhabitants, 24.6% of the literate population aged 10 and over who speaks the three languages are women, with men representing 21.9%. A similar trend is observed in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, which ranks second (23%), with 24.6% for women and 21.6% for men.
This trend is constant in other regions, such as Souss-Massa (23.2% for women against 20.4% for men), Guelmim-Oued Noun (21.2% against 19.6%), Laâyoune- Sakia El Hamra (19.9% against 17.5%) and Marrakech-Safi (19.9% against 17.5%).
Despite their ability to read and write in Arabic, French and English, women remain less educated than men, according to HCP data. Indeed, the female population of the country with only a primary education level represents 25%, compared to 28.7% for men.
Women with a secondary level of education (college) represent 14.4%, compared to 19.8% for men. The same trend is observed at the secondary level, with 11.1% for women and 13.2% for men. Concerning higher education, men are slightly more numerous, with 10.4% compared to 10.1%.
According to the data, 99.2% of Morocco’s literate population aged 10 and above can read and write in Arabic, 57.7% in French and only 20.5% in English. Proficiency in French and English is higher in urban areas, with 64.3% and 25.2% of the literate population aged 10 and over respectively, compared to 42.1% and 9.6% in rural areas.
