Chakib Benmoussa, the High Commissioner for Planning, revealed on Tuesday a slowdown in population growth, with a 0.85% decrease in the growth rate, during his presentation of the results of the General Population and Housing Census.
Benmoussa noted that “the urbanization rate has risen from 51.4% in the 1990s to 62.8% in 2024. He also pointed out that 7 cities in the country now account for a large portion of the urban population, with Casablanca being the largest.”
The High Commissioner also mentioned that the national unemployment rate has increased to 21% in 2024, explaining that this figure is higher than those reported by the independent commission, as it reflects self-reporting by the population and statistical processes based on specific technical and aggregation methods, similar to what was seen in 2014.
He also stated that the fertility rate has decreased nationwide, with census results showing that the average Moroccan woman now has fewer than two children, which is below the replacement level for generations, noting that the Drâa-Tafilalet region has the highest fertility rate.
Benmoussa also shared that the census results show a shift in Morocco’s population pyramid, with the percentage of children under 15 and working-age adults decreasing, while the percentage of people over 60 has increased.
The findings additionally revealed that literacy rates have improved, with 91% of Moroccans speaking Moroccan Arabic. However, only 25% speak Amazigh, less than 1% speak Hassaniya, and 99% are proficient in Arabic. Additionally, 30% of Moroccans have a good command of Amazigh, and 60% are fluent in French.
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