World Bank forecasts increase in poverty in rural Morocco

The World Bank is forecasting an increase in poverty in Morocco in the coming years, especially in rural areas which “are more vulnerable to climatic shocks, and in inequality.”

While Morocco has recorded a significant reduction in poverty from 2007 to 2013, with growth over the past decade being “pro-poor,” the World Bank notes that “the urban-rural gap in poverty rates remains large.”

“The evolution of consumption inequality has been disappointing since 2000,” the report noted, calling for more “inclusive growth.”

Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the Russia-Ukraine conflict caused a general decline in living conditions in 2020.

The World Bank stressed that despite an apparent stagnation in the national poverty line over 2020, the bottom of the distribution will be “disproportionately affected, with a consequent increase in poverty.”