IMF: Morocco wasting billions in health, education despite progress

Morocco has expanded access to health and education in recent years, but the results remain far below the country’s potential, the International Monetary Fund said in a report released in late March.

The IMF said Morocco iis wasting about 27% of resources in the health sector and 37% in education due to inefficiencies in spending, management, and service delivery. 

Life expectancy in Morocco has risen to roughly 62.3 years, up from 60.7 in 2000, and infant mortality has fallen from more than 28 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2010 to under 16 in 2023. 

Despite these gains, the health system struggles with a shortage of medical and support staff, weak hospital infrastructure, uneven geographic access to care, low patient satisfaction, and poor management of employee performance. 

Moroccans still pay about 43% of health costs out of pocket, nearly double the World Health Organization’s recommended level.

In education, Morocco has increased enrollment and school access, but student performance continues to lag. Moroccan students consistently rank at the bottom in regional assessments of reading, math, and science. 

Structural challenges such as late school entry, grade repetition, low teacher motivation, and gaps in teacher training are holding back learning outcomes. 

Rural students face larger obstacles than their urban peers, and higher education remains concentrated in social sciences rather than the technical and STEM fields needed by the labor market. 

Only about 70% of planned investments in both health and education have been implemented in recent years, limiting the impact of public spending.

The IMF said the government’s reform programs are ambitious but need faster implementation, stronger governance, accountability, and better resource management. 

Simplifying administrative procedures, improving human resource policies, and linking budgets more closely to results could increase the efficiency of spending. 

According to the report, better execution could boost health outcomes by 27% and education results by 37% without raising overall spending.