Morocco's Economic Landscape: Southern Regions Lead in GDP Per Capita, Highlighting National Disparities

Morocco's economic landscape reveals significant regional variations, with five regions surpassing the national average GDP per capita of 36,284 Moroccan dirhams (MAD) in 2022, according to a recent report from the High Commission for Planning (HCP).

The southern region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab stands out as the frontrunner, boasting an impressive GDP per capita of MAD 80,996. Following closely is Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, with MAD 71,246. The economic powerhouse of Casablanca-Settat secured the third position at MAD 54,997, while Guelmim-Oued Noun and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra rounded out the top five with MAD 44,432 and MAD 43,124, respectively.

These figures underscore the stark economic disparities across Morocco's regions. For instance, Marrakech-Safi recorded a GDP per capita of just MAD 22,730, significantly below the national average. Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima fared slightly better at MAD 35,641, but still fell short of the country's mean.

Despite these disparities, there are signs of improvement. The average absolute gap in GDP per capita across regions narrowed marginally from MAD 14,617 in 2021 to MAD 14,552 in 2022, indicating a slight reduction in regional economic inequality.

The HCP report also shed light on household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) patterns. Four regions - Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, and Fès-Meknès - collectively accounted for nearly two-thirds (62.9%) of the national HFCE, which totaled MAD 816 billion.

Casablanca-Settat led the pack, contributing 25.3% of the total expenditure, followed by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra at 14.7%. Both Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima and Fès-Meknès contributed 11.5% each. Marrakech-Safi (11.3%), Souss-Massa (7.2%), and the Oriental region (7%) collectively made up almost a quarter of the HFCE.

The remaining five regions accounted for 11.7% of the total, with Dakhla-Oued Eddahab contributing the least at 0.7% and Béni Mellal-Khénifra the most among this group at 5.4%.

These findings highlight the complex economic landscape of Morocco, where southern regions lead in per capita GDP, but traditional economic centers still dominate in terms of overall consumption. The data underscores the ongoing challenge of balancing regional development and addressing economic disparities across the nation.