Language

Official language
Arabic, French, Tamazight

T-index 0.15%

T-Index ranks countries according to their potential for online sales.

English
Low proficiency (EF) – 76 of 112 countries/regions in the world- 9/20 position in Africa.

Demography

Capitals: Rabat
Currency: The Moroccan Dirham
Population: 37,07 m
Population density: 8/km2

Economy

GDP: 142.87 billion USD (2021)
GDP per capita: 3,795.4 USD (2021)
Exports: 32.2 billion USD (2020)

Statistics

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (2021)
Urbanisation: 64.07% (2021)
Literacy: 76% (2019)
Internet users: 84.1% penetration, 31.59 million

Conventions

Numbering system
Arabic numerals with comma as decimal separator

Date format: dd-mm-yyyy
Time: 24h time system
Country code: 00212

Media

Media language French, English, Arabic

Information channels
The broadcast media are either dominated by
the state or reflect the official line. However,
the private press has succeeded in breaking
taboos over some sensitive topics, including
allegations of high-level corruption. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders notes
that “religion, the king, and the monarchy in
general, the country and territorial integrity
cannot be questioned.”
The Press Law provides for prison terms. The
editor of Al-Massae daily was jailed for one
year in 2011 for stories he had written about
corruption and the activities of the security
services. Media watchdogs said the move was
a step backward for press freedom.
The government owns or has a stake in, RTM
and 2M, Morocco’s main TV networks.
Satellite dishes are widely used, giving access
to French and pan-Arab stations.
There were 16.5 million internet users by June
2012 (Internetworldstats.com). There is no
policy of widespread site filtering. Bloggers
generally avoid sensitive topics, such as
Western Sahara and the royal family.

The press

Le Matin – semi-official daily
Al-Massae – private, daily
Assabah – private, daily
Liberation – private, daily
L’Economiste – business daily
Telquel – private, news weekly

Television

Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM) – operates state-run Television Marocaine (TVM)
2M – partly state-owned
Al Maghribiya – satellite channel operated by RTM and 2M, aimed at Moroccans living abroad
Medi 1 TV – Tangier-based satellite channel, privately owned by Moroccan and French concerns

Radio

Radio-Television Marocaine (RTM) – state-run, operates national networks in Arabic, French, and regional services
Medi 1 – Tangier-based, privately owned by Moroccan and French concerns, programs in Arabic and French
Aswat Radio – private, FM relays nationally
Hit Radio – private, FM relays nationally
Med Radio – private, FM relays nationally

Internet Data

Internet users
84.1% penetration, 31.59 million

Share of web traffic by device
53.89% mobile phones, 40.16% computers (laptops and
desktops), 5.94% tablet devices, others 0.02%

Median speed of mobile Internet connection
27.59 Mbps

Median speed of fixed Internet connection
13.54 Mbps

Mobile connection as a percentage of total population
129.3%

Percentage of mobile connections that are broadband (3G-5G)
69.4%

Most popular web search engines
Google (98.55%), Bing (0.81%), Yahoo (0.45%),
Petal Search (0.09%), Duckduckgo
(0.04%), Yandex (0.03%)

Most used social media
Twitter (80.09%), Facebook (13.46%), Youtube (3.29%), Pinterest (1.48%), Tumblr (0.61%), Vkontakte (0.91%), Instagram (0.58%)

Social statistics

Life expectancy
74 yrs (2020)

Unemployment
10.5% (2021)

Healthcare Expenditure
5.9% of GDP (2014)

Literacy
76% (2018)

Average age of the population
29.5 yrs

Gender
Sexual equality does not exist when it comes to salaries. Women still need to defend this concept and must put up a fight to have their voices heard. In large companies, this is not such an issue and women are treated as equals. Homosexuals are not well regarded and are often marginalised.

Religion
More than 90% of Moroccans are Muslim and the rest are Jewish. There are devout Muslims who never miss a prayer session and females wear veils. There are also non-practising Muslims who drink alcohol and do not strictly follow all the tenants of the religion.

Class
The rich, the poor, and a very small middle class. Social class is very important in Morocco and you will be respected and even feared if you are wealthy or happen to be the son of someone who has a powerful position in the government. Social class can affect the hiring process; it is difficult to not give a good position to someone who comes from an elite family or whose father is mayor of the city. People are often hired through networking and even through covert deals.

Ethnicity
Moroccans living in the centre and north are Arabs while those in the south are Berbers and they speak their own dialect. In order to see the difference between the two types of Arabic, watch the news on television as both Arabic and Berber versions are broadcast. Both ethnic groups are often the topic of jokes and anecdotes.