Rich Moroccans live up to 4 years longer than disadvantaged citizens, study finds

Rich Moroccans live up to four years longer than their disadvantaged citizens, finds new study from the Directorate of Demographic Studies and Research at the High Commission for Planning (HCP).

Life expectancy at birth among the wealthiest groups of Moroccan society is much higher compared to the poorer groups.

With the life span exceeding 75 years in Morocco today, the study revealed that residents of urban areas have a longer life span compared to rural residents.

This can be explained by a combination of factors, including access to health facilities, social-economic status, and health insurance.

Entitled “Trends and Disparities in the Face of Death in Morocco,” the study found that health-related indicators, especially those related to mortality, show that Morocco has recorded significant progress in this regard.

However, it is progress that does not benefit everyone, given the existence of considerable disparities by region, residence area, and social group.

According to the delegation, the level of child mortality has witnessed a marked decrease since 1992, but disparity persisted depending on the aforementioned factors.

In numbers, the neonatal mortality rate decreased significantly from 31.4 per thousand in 1992 to 13.6 per thousand in 2018, representing a 56.7% decrease.

The study indicated that despite the improvement in child mortality indicators in Morocco thanks to health programs and the relative improvement in infrastructure, the sector still suffers from many shortcomings, mainly due to weak human and material means, poor coordination between programs and sectors, as well as regional governance.

According to the study, the supply of human resources in the national health sector remains limited and unequal between regions and citizens, as the most vulnerable groups find it difficult to access health care despite having health coverage.