The regions of Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, and Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima collectively dominate the Moroccan economy, accounting for a staggering 58.4% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This significant concentration underscores the structural disparities in the distribution of economic returns across the nation, revealing a marked imbalance between the economic powerhouses and other regions.
The High Commission for Planning attributes this concentration to the vibrant industrial, commercial, and service sectors that characterize these major urban centers, alongside their superior infrastructure, which is notably lacking in less developed regions. Leading the way, Casablanca-Settat contributed an impressive 32.3% to the national GDP, followed closely by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra at 15.5% and Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima at 10.7%.
Wealth Production Map and Widening Gaps
The remaining value added was distributed unevenly across the rest of the country, with five regions contributing 33.8% to the national GDP. These regions played significant developmental roles, albeit with less dominance. Among them, Marrakech-Safi contributed 8.7%, Fès-Meknès 8.2%, Souss-Massa 6.6%, Béni Mellal-Khénifra 5.3%, and the Eastern region at 5.1%.
Conversely, the regions of Drâa-Tafilalet, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, and Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab exhibited the weakest contributions, collectively accounting for a mere 7.8% of the total national GDP in value terms. This uneven economic dynamism has slightly widened regional disparities, with the absolute average gap—measuring the distance between the GDP of various regions and the regional average—rising from 83.6 billion dirhams in 2023 to 90.9 billion dirhams in 2024.
Household Consumption Trends Reflecting Centralization
Household consumption spending has followed a similar trend of geographic centralization, with five regions monopolizing approximately three-quarters of final household consumption expenditures, reaching 74.4%. The total national expenditure amounted to 944.1 billion dirhams. Casablanca-Settat alone accounted for 25.3% of this consumer spending, followed by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra at 14.8%, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima at 11.6%, Fès-Meknès at 11.4%, and Marrakech-Safi at 11.3%.
The remaining regions shared the remaining 25.6%, with contributions as low as 0.8% from Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab and up to 7.2% from Souss-Massa. This scenario has led to an expansion of the disparities in household consumption expenditures, with the average absolute difference between regions increasing to 51.5 billion dirhams in 2024, up from 48.5 billion dirhams in 2023, highlighting a growing centralization of purchasing power in the more dynamic urban centers.
On an individual spending basis, the national average was established at 25,664 dirhams per person. Six regions reported levels surpassing this average, with Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab leading at 34,515 dirhams, followed by Casablanca-Settat at 31,173 dirhams, the Eastern region at 27,805 dirhams, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra at 27,250 dirhams, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima at 27,210 dirhams, and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra at 25,696 dirhams. This landscape has been accompanied by an increase in the dispersion of individual consumption expenditures, with the average absolute difference rising from 3,423 dirhams in 2023 to 3,609 dirhams in 2024.
The pace of regional economic growth diverged from the absolute centralization of consumer and productive wealth, as two-thirds of the country’s regions exceeded the national growth rate of 4.4%. Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra achieved remarkable growth of 7.6%, driven by a resurgence in non-commercial services and fishing, followed by Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab at 7%, primarily due to ongoing developments in the fishing and construction sectors.
The developmental dynamism continued in Souss-Massa, which recorded a growth rate of 6.8% thanks to strong performance in agriculture and services. Drâa-Tafilalet achieved 6.2% growth, fueled by robust construction activities, while the Eastern region saw a 5.9% increase, benefitting from the resumption of industrial and service activities. The local economy of Marrakech-Safi grew by 5.1%, supported by the accommodation and restaurant sector. Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima recorded a 4.9% growth rate, driven by thriving manufacturing and service industries, while Guelmim-Oued Noun achieved a growth rate of 4.6%, bolstered by primary and service activities.
Other regions experienced positive growth, albeit below the national average, with rates ranging from 1.6% to 4.3%. Casablanca-Settat led this category at 4.3%, followed by Rabat-Salé-Kénitra at 3.5%, Béni Mellal-Khénifra at 2.1%, and Fès-Meknès at 1.6%.
In conclusion, the Moroccan economy finished 2024 with an overall growth of approximately 4.4%, stabilizing the GDP in volume at around 1,550.45 billion dirhams. In current prices, GDP jumped to 1,614.57 billion dirhams, marking a relative surge of 8.7% compared to 2023.
As reported by ar.le360.ma.
