The last general population and housing census, carried out in September 2024, highlighted fundamental demographic and social data for understanding the evolution of Morocco. The High Commissioner for Planning, Chakib Benmoussa, presented these results during a conference held on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, revealing significant trends concerning demographic growth, urbanization, fertility, education, as well as the dynamics language and medical coverage. These data demonstrate the structural changes that are shaping the country and influencing its public policies.
One of the most striking aspects of the latest census is the slowdown in population growth in Morocco. According to figures provided by the High Commissioner for Planning, the legal population of the Kingdom amounts to 36,828,330 inhabitants as of 1is September 2024. “ Compared to the 2014 census, the population increased by 2,980,088 people “, he explains. However, this increase was accompanied by an average annual growth rate of only 0.85%, which is significantly lower than the rate of 1.25% recorded between 2004 and 2014. This slowdown in population growth can be attributed to several factors, including a notable drop in the fertility rate.
Another important trend revealed by Chakib Benmoussa is the increase in urbanization. “ In 2024, 62.8% of the Moroccan population lives in urban areas, compared to 60.4% in 2014. “, he declares. Urbanization is particularly marked in certain regions such as Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, with 92.4%, Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab at 80.4%, Casablanca-Settat at 73.3%, and Rabat-Salé-Kenitra at 70.7%. “ This urbanization phenomenon reflects not only internal migrations towards large cities, but also a concentration of services and infrastructure in these urban areas. “, he emphasizes. Conversely, less urbanized regions, such as Marrakech-Safi with 46% and Drâa-Tafilalet at 36.7%, show much lower rates.
In this context, the urban population has experienced a substantial increase, going from 20,432,439 inhabitants in 2014 to 23,110,108 in 2024, i.e. an average annual growth rate of 1.24%. On the other hand, the rural population increased more modestly, with an average annual growth rate of 0.22%, going from 13,415,803 people in 2014 to 13,718,222 in 2024.
One of the main causes of the demographic slowdown is the continued decline in the fertility rate in Morocco. The Synthetic Fertility Index (SFI), which measures the average number of children per woman, increased from 2.5 in 2004 to 2.2 in 2014, and reached 1.97 in 2024. This level of fertility is now below the generation replacement threshold, which is 2.1 children per woman. “, he explains. This decline in fertility reflects several social changes, including improved access to education and health, as well as changes in social behavior and family choices.
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Another important development observed is the increase in the number of households headed by women. “ The proportion of households headed by women increased from 16.2% in 2014 to 19.2% in 2024 “, he says. This trend illustrates significant changes in the social and economic roles of women in Morocco, as well as in family structure. “ This development is particularly marked in urban areas, where the proportion of households headed by women reaches 21.6% in 2024, compared to only 14.5% in rural areas. “, he declares. This could be linked to changes in the socio-economic situation of women, as well as greater autonomy in the management of households.
Teaching and languages: Predominant mastery of Arabic, English in progress
Education is also an area where significant progress has been made. The High Commissioner for Planning highlighted a clear improvement in the average duration of schooling, which increased from 4.4 years in 2014 to 6.3 years in 2024 for the population aged 25 and over. “ This progression is particularly marked in urban areas, where the average length of schooling reaches 7.9 years, compared to only 3.2 years in rural areas. “, he specifies. However, regional disparities remain pronounced, with regions like Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra (7.9 years), Casablanca-Settat (7.5 years) and Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (7.2 years) showing scores above the average. national average, while others, such as Oriental, Marrakech-Safi and Drâa-Tafilalet, continue to fall below.
On the linguistic level, Chakib Benmoussa presented interesting data concerning literacy and language mastery. “Almost the entire literate population, i.e. 99.2%, masters the Arabic language “, he declares, while a more modest proportion of 1.5% can read and write in Amazigh, using the Tifinagh script. Mastery of foreign languages is also notable, with 57.7% of the literate population proficient in French and 20.5% speaking English. In urban areas, these proportions are even higher, reaching 64.3% for French and 25.2% for English respectively. “ These figures indicate a strong predominance of Arabic and a significant evolution in the mastery of foreign languages, particularly in large cities. “, he explains.
Regarding the use of languages, nearly 92% of the population uses Darija (Moroccan Arabic), while Amazigh is spoken by 24.8% of the population. “ Tachelhit, Tamazight and Tarifit are the main variants of Amazigh spoken across the country “, he specifies. Tachelhit is more used in southern regions, such as Souss-Massa (63.2%) and Guelmim-Oued Noun (48.1%), while Tamazight is particularly present in regions like Drâa-Tafilalet (46 .2%).
The census also highlighted access to medical coverage. “ In 2024, 69.8% of the population declares that they benefit from medical coverage “, he declares. This rate varies slightly between urban areas (69.3%) and rural areas (70.6%), but the difference is not significant. Some regions like Fez-Meknes (75.5%) and Béni Mellal-Khénifra (74.2%) have medical coverage rates higher than the national average, while other regions like Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima (62%) .2%) and Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab (63.8%) remain below.
The results of the 2024 census, presented by Chakib Benmoussa, reveal significant demographic and social trends that are shaping Morocco’s future. Thus, the slowdown in population growth, increasing urbanization, the decline in fertility, the improvement of education and the evolution of women’s roles in society are key elements to take into account to adjust policies public. “ While challenges remain, particularly in terms of regional disparities, these data demonstrate the progress made by the Kingdom in many areas essential for its future development. “, he declares.
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