Morocco ranks 70th globally in quality of life

14:00

By: Azzat Manal

Morocco ranks 70th globally in quality of life

Morocco ranked 70th out of 89 countries in the first half of 2026 according to an international quality-of-life index, highlighting persistent challenges related to purchasing power, healthcare, housing affordability and pollution. The country recorded an overall score of 112.9 points.

The index assesses living conditions through a range of factors, including purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, property prices relative to income, commuting times, pollution and climate. Together, these indicators provide a broad picture of the conditions experienced by residents in each country.

Morocco placed in the lower half of the ranking, well behind the leading countries. The Netherlands topped the list with 205.6 points, followed by Luxembourg with 204.8 and Oman with 203.9. Qatar and Kuwait also recorded particularly strong results in purchasing power, illustrating the wide differences between countries.

Despite its overall position, Morocco performed better than several countries included in the ranking, including Azerbaijan, Chile, Colombia and Thailand. The results also reveal significant differences between the individual components of the index.

At the regional level, Tunisia ranked 68th with 117.1 points, placing it slightly ahead of Morocco, while Egypt stood at 84th with 85.4 points. The comparison with Tunisia shows that the two countries have different strengths and weaknesses across the various indicators.

Morocco recorded a purchasing power score of 44 points, higher than Tunisia's 33.6. However, Tunisia performed better in areas such as safety, healthcare and cost of living, helping it achieve a slightly stronger overall position.

Purchasing power remains one of Morocco's most significant weaknesses. The country's score was far below those recorded by the highest-ranked countries, with the Netherlands reaching 127.3 points, Luxembourg 159.2 and Oman 152.6. Qatar and Kuwait both exceeded 170 points.

The figures underline the importance of the relationship between household incomes and everyday expenses. A relatively moderate cost of living does not necessarily translate into better living conditions when household incomes remain insufficient to provide greater financial flexibility.

Morocco recorded 31.3 points for the cost-of-living component. While this compares favorably with many developed economies in terms of relative affordability, the impact is limited by the country's comparatively weaker purchasing power.

Safety was another area in which Morocco posted a relatively positive result, with 52.9 points. However, it remained behind countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, which recorded scores of 86.3, 84.8 and 81.7 respectively.

Healthcare also remains an important challenge. Morocco received 46.8 points for the health component, below several countries with more highly developed healthcare systems. Japan, for example, scored 79.9 points, while Taiwan reached 87.1 and Finland, Austria and the Netherlands recorded scores close to 77 points.

Housing affordability is another factor weighing on quality of life. Morocco scored 13.6 points for property prices relative to income, suggesting that purchasing a home can represent a significant financial burden for households. By comparison, Oman and the United States recorded much lower scores of 3.8 and 3.4 points respectively.

Commuting conditions produced a more moderate result, with Morocco scoring 34.9 points. The country performed better than several markets facing heavier commuting pressures, including India, Turkey, Kenya and Peru, although a number of European countries recorded lower scores.

Pollution remains one of the more challenging aspects of Morocco's quality-of-life profile, with the country registering 68.7 points on the pollution indicator. By comparison, Finland scored 10.9, Austria 16.3 and Norway 18.7, while Germany recorded 23.2 points. Tunisia posted a similar result at 69.3, whereas Egypt recorded a considerably higher figure of 82.6.

Climate, however, stands out as one of Morocco's strongest advantages. The country received 90.3 points, outperforming several European countries and coming relatively close to Spain's 93 points. Morocco's favorable climate therefore represents an important positive factor in its overall quality-of-life profile.

The ranking ultimately presents a mixed picture of living conditions in Morocco. Favorable climate conditions and relatively solid results in certain safety and commuting indicators contrast with weaknesses in purchasing power, healthcare, housing affordability and pollution.

Improving Morocco's position in future international quality-of-life rankings will therefore depend on progress across several areas rather than a single factor. Higher household purchasing power, stronger healthcare services, more accessible housing and continued efforts to reduce pollution could all contribute to improving living conditions and strengthening the country's international standing.