More than 14.7 million Moroccans, about four in ten residents, have moved at least once within the country, according to new data from the Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP) based on the 2024 General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH).
The report describes internal migration as a defining feature of Morocco’s demographic and economic shifts.
The study shows that 60 percent of citizens still live in their birthplace, while 40 percent have relocated at least once, far surpassing international migration, which involves less than 1 percent of residents. Urban migration dominates: 45.6 percent of internal movements occur between cities, reflecting the growing pull of urban centers for jobs, education, and services. Rural-to-urban flows account for 34.1 percent, while the countryside has lost nearly four million residents overall.
Women make up 55.1 percent of internal migrants, underscoring a strong feminization of mobility even in rural areas. Casablanca-Settat leads with 3.63 million migrants, one in four nationwide, followed by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Fès-Meknès, and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima.
Meanwhile, interior regions such as Marrakech-Safi and Drâa-Tafilalet post negative migration balances, signaling persistent local economic gaps.
The HCP notes emerging poles in the south, including Souss-Massa, Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, and Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab, boosted by infrastructure projects and public investment. Overall, 61.9 percent of migrants moved within their region and 38.1 percent between regions, shaping a national geography increasingly defined by mobility and unequal development.
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