Morocco is stepping into a new era of transformation. Investments in world-class infrastructure, renewable energy, and digital technologies are reshaping the national landscape, while industrial upgrading, greater economic openness, and deeper integration into global value chains are strengthening the country’s role as a competitive hub. On the social front, the expansion of universal health coverage and targeted initiatives to reduce poverty reflect a society that is innovating, adapting, and moving forward with confidence.

 

Yet despite these advances, many Moroccans, both young and old, continue to face structural constraints. In classrooms, students prepare for careers that do not always align with job market requirements. In the health sector, patients encounter disparities in the availability of services. Across cities and rural areas alike, young people seek jobs that match their skills, only to find opportunities limited.

 

With informal work dominating the labor market, access to stable, formal employment remains limited. A significant number end up in the NEET category, not in employment, education, or training trapped in cycles of inactivity that threaten both personal growth and national progress. Many of those who succeed in earning degrees and acquiring valuable skills move abroad, drawn by well-crafted skilled immigration schemes in developed countries. While at home, there is a need for orientation policies and targeted incentives to retain a generation of talent that could otherwise drive innovation and growth.

  

These are not abstract statistics but the lived reality of millions of Moroccans striving for a better life every day. The question is no longer whether the potential exists but how to harness it and which policies will make the greatest difference in education, employment, healthcare, and social inclusion.

 

In this newsletter, we take a closer look at Morocco’s most urgent priorities, highlighting the key domestic policies where action can truly transform lives and strengthen the nation. It all comes down to one question: where do we start?

SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION IN MOROCCO

(FR) Social Justice Under Scrutiny

 

Larabi Jaïdi

 

In Morocco, many perceive two societies coexisting: one enjoying rights and rewards, the other only sharing in deprivation. Today, renewing social solidarity is urgent. Global pressures and domestic inequalities demand public policies that breathe life into these principles, ensuring they aren’t just words in the Constitution. The big question remains: how can concrete politics turn these timeless ideals into a truly just and democratic society?... Read more

How Morocco’s Youth Can Shape the Country’s Future

 

Tayeb Ghazi

 

Morocco stands at the crossroads of Africa and the Mediterranean, a stable economy that has long embraced openness and global integration. With foreign investment reaching nearly 56% of its economy spanning industries from cars to textiles, the country has built itself into one of Africa’s top destinations for investors. But the real question remains: how can Morocco’s youth turn this momentum into opportunities that secure their future and change the nation’s destiny?... Read more

(FR) Socio-Territorial Cohesion: Key Imperatives for Public Policy

 

Larabi Jaïdi

 

How can Morocco tackle social and territorial inequalities at once? This paper argues that reducing disparities requires rethinking resource allocation, strengthening solidarity across regions, and prioritizing “built” resources like knowledge and skills over “given” ones like land or capital. Focusing on complex areas like territorial planning, decentralization, and funding, it shows that effective socio-territorial cohesion demands an institutional, coordinated approach to policymaking... Read more

(AR) Morocco’s Social Protection System and Direct Support Policies

 

In this episode of Tuesday Talk, we discuss the initiative to universalize social protection and implement the direct support system, considered one of Morocco’s most important social and economic reforms. Since 2020, major reforms have been launched to expand health coverage, pensions, and family allowances, while targeting support toward the most deserving groups. This ambitious initiative presents significant financial and technical challenges to ensure fairness and social equity... Watch

EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR MARKET

NEET Youth in Morocco: Understanding the Barriers

 

Aomar Ibourk & Zakaria Elouaourti

 

In Morocco, a growing share of youth struggle as ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training’ (NEET), reflecting broader challenges in education and the labor market. This study 7,815 young Moroccans reveals that family support, self-esteem, and trust in institutions matter more than higher education alone. What can help them find their way into education and work? Targeted policies strengthening families, communities, and institutions may hold the key... Read more

(FR) Informality in Morocco: Rethinking Incentives for a More Inclusive Economy

 

Hamza Saoudi & Ahmed Ouhnini

 

Did you know that nearly 77% of Moroccan employment is informal? While essential for livelihoods, the informal sector limits productivity, reduces fiscal revenues, and slows long-term growth. This book explores how rethinking incentives and support structures could make the informal economy more inclusive, dynamic, and beneficial for workers, businesses, and the state alike... Read more

(FR) A Roadmap for Employment: Morocco’s Path to Inclusive Growth

 

Aomar Ibourk & Tayeb Ghazi

 

Morocco’s labor market is at a crossroads: high youth unemployment, low female participation, and widespread informality challenge growth. The Employment Roadmap aims to cut unemployment to 9% by 2030 through job creation, SME support, and better governance. But reaching these targets will require bold reforms, smarter training, and inclusive policies that turn ambition into lasting opportunities. The big question: can Morocco make its workforce the engine of a truly inclusive economy?... Read more

(AR) The Employment Outlook in Morocco by 2030

 

In this episode, we discuss Morocco’s employment challenges, the government’s 2030 employment roadmap, the realism of its targets, barriers to women’s labor market integration, and the urgent reforms needed to transform the country’s employment landscape... Watch

EDUCATION REFORMS

Educational Inequalities in Morocco

 

Aomar Ibourk & Soukaina Raoui

 

Can territorial policies close Morocco’s educational gaps as quickly as they reduce poverty? Using census data from 1,501 communes, this study finds that while the National Initiative for Human Development has sped up poverty reduction, educational inequalities, especially in rural areas remain stubborn. The message is clear: building Morocco’s human capital means tackling territorial disparities in access, quality, and retention head-on... Read more

(FR) What is really holding back Morocco’s schools?

 

Larabi Jaïdi

 

Morocco’s education system faces five core challenges: misallocated resources, weak societal engagement, outdated pedagogy, insufficient language mastery, and gaps in teacher support and governance. Addressing these issues requires coordinated efforts, innovative tools, and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders to transform the system and ensure lasting educational reform... Read more

(FR) Moroccan Students Abroad: From Brain Drain to Brain Gain

 

Tayeb Ghazi

 

Can Morocco turn its student mobility abroad into a brain gain rather than a brain drain? This paper maps 204 programs (2019–2022) and combines interviews to uncover gaps: passive incentives, weak support during studies, and no clear path for graduate reintegration. The findings reveal how orientation policies, despite political promises, can unintentionally let talent slip away and suggest ways to finally make brain gain a reality... Read more

(AR) The Moroccan School Between Inequalities and the Challenge of Reform

 

In this episode of Tuesday Talk, we discuss the Moroccan education system’s current challenges, the impact of ongoing reforms, and strategies to reduce disparities among students while ensuring equal opportunities for all... Watch

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