Demographics_of_Morocco

Demographics of Morocco

Demographics of Morocco

Demographics of Morocco


Demographic features of the population of Morocco include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. The population of Morocco in 2021 is 37.271 million.[2]

Foreign residents in Morocco by country of birth, in 1994

Quick Facts Morocco, Population ...

Moroccans are primarily of Arab and Berber origin.[3][4][1] Socially, there are two contrasting groups of Moroccans: those living in the cities and those in the rural areas. Among the rural, several classes have formed such as landowners, peasants, and tenant farmers. Moroccans live mainly in the north and west portions of Morocco. However, they prefer living in the more fertile regions near the Mediterranean Sea.

Between the Nile and the Red Sea were living Arab tribes expelled from Arabia for their turbulence, Banu Hilal and Banu Sulaym, who often plundered farming areas in the Nile Valley.[5] According to Ibn Khaldun, whole tribes set off with women, children, ancestors, animals and camping equipment.[5] These tribes, along with others, who mass arrived in the region of Morocco in colossal numbers around the 12th-13th centuries,[6] and later the Ma'qil in the 14th century, contributed to a more extensive ethnic, cultural, and linguistic Arabization of Morocco over time, especially beyond the major urban centres and the northern regions well into the countryside.[7][6] The descendants of the original Arab settlers who continue to speak Arabic as a first language currently form the single largest population group in North Africa.[8]

About 99% of Moroccans are considered to be Sunni Muslims religiously or culturally. The numbers of the Jewish minority has decreased significantly since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Today there are 2,500 Moroccan Jews inside the country.[9] Thousands of Moroccan Jews living in Europe, Israel and North America visit the country regularly. There is a small but apparently growing minority of Moroccan Christians made of local Moroccan converts (not Europeans). In 2014, most of the 86,206 foreign residents are French people, Spaniards, Algerians and sub-Saharan African students.

Population

Vital statistics

More information Average population, Live births ...

Source: Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP)[13]

Current vital statistics

More information Period, Live births ...

[14]

Fertility rate (The Demographic Health Survey)

Figures from The Demographic Health Survey[15]

Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):

More information Year, CBR (Total) ...

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in Morocco since 1950
Life expectancy in Morocco since 1960 by gender
More information Period, Life expectancy in Years ...

Source: UN World Population Prospects[16]

Structure of the population

Population pyramid 2016

Structure of the population (Census 2004):[17][18]

More information Age Group, Male ...
More information Age group, Male ...

According to 2004 census

More information Age group, Male ...

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2013) (Based on the results of the 2004 Population Census.) :

More information Age Group, Male ...

Structure of the population (Census 2014) :

More information Age Group, Male ...

According to 2014 census

More information Age group, Male ...

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Projections based on the results of national survey on population and health conducted between 2010 and 2011, and especially population and housing census 2014.):[19]

More information Age Group, Male ...

Ethnic groups

Ethnic groups in Morocco[1]

  Arabs (44%)
  Berbers (21%)
  Beidane (10%)
  Others (1%)

Moroccans are primarily of Arab and Berber origin as in other neighbouring countries in the Maghreb.[3][4][1] Arabs make up 44% of the population of Morocco, Arabized Berbers make up 24%, Berbers make up 21%, the Beidane make up 10%, and others make up 1%.[1]

The Arab population of Morocco is a result of the inflow of nomadic Arab tribes from the Arabian Peninsula since the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb in the 7th century with a major wave in the 11th century.[20] The major migration to the region by Arab tribes was in the 11th century when the tribes of Banu Hilal and Banu Sulaym, along with others, were sent by the Fatimids to defeat a Berber rebellion and then settle in the Maghreb.[21] Between the Nile and the Red Sea were Arab tribes expelled from Arabia for their turbulence, Banu Hilal and Banu Sulaym, who often plundered farming areas in the Nile Valley.[5] According to Ibn Khaldun, whole tribes set off with women, children, ancestors, animals and camping equipment.[5] These tribes, who arrived in the region of Morocco around the 12th-13th centuries, and later the Ma'qil in the 14th century, contributed to a more extensive ethnic, genetic, cultural, and linguistic Arabization of Morocco over time,[22] especially beyond the major urban centres and the northern regions which were the main sites of Arabization up to that point.[7]

Ethnic map of Morocco (1973)[23]

The Berber population mainly lives in the mountainous regions of Morocco where some preserve Berber culture, and are split into three groups; Rifians, Shilha, and Zayanes.[1] The Rifians inhabit the Rif mountains, the Shilha inhabit the Anti-Atlas mountains, and the Zayanes inhabit the Middle Atlas mountains.[1] The Arabized Berbers who constitute about a quarter of the population are the Berbers who were Arabized mainly as a result of the Arab nomad inflow, and have adopted Arab culture and the Arabic language as their native language, especially those who sought the protection of the Bedouin.[22] Some parts of the population are descendants of refugees who fled Spain after the Reconquista in the 15th century. The Trans-Saharan slave trade brought a population of Sub-Saharan Africans to Morocco. After the founding of Israel and start of the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948, many Jews felt compelled to leave Morocco especially after the anti-Jewish riots in Oujda, and many fled to Israel, Europe, and North America, and by 1967 250,000 Jews left Morocco.[1] In a 2021 survey on 1,200 Moroccan adults, 68% were Arab, 25.6% were Berber, 3.6% were Sahrawi, and 2.7% were others.[24]

Languages

Arabic and Berber are the official languages of Morocco. The majority spoken language in Morocco is Arabic which is spoken by 92% of the population and includes the dialects of Moroccan Arabic (Hilalian dialects) and Hassaniya Arabic. Berber languages are spoken by 26% of the population in three varieties (Tarifit, Shilha, and Tamazight).[25]

French is an implicitly "official language" of government and big business, and is taught throughout school and still serves as Morocco's primary language of business, economics, and scientific university education. French is also widely used in the media. Morocco is a member of La Francophonie. Berber activists have struggled since the 1960s for the recognition of their language as an official language of Morocco, which was achieved in July 2011 following the February 20th 2011 uprising. About 20,000 Moroccans in the northern part of the country speak some Spanish.

English, while still far behind French in terms of the number of proficient speakers, is rapidly becoming a foreign language of choice among educated youth and business people. It has been taught to Moroccan students after the fourth year of elementary school since the education reforms of 2002.

Main populated areas

Most Moroccans live west and north of the Atlas Mountains, a range that insulates the country from the Sahara Desert. Casablanca is the largest city and the centre of business and industry, and has the leading seaport and airport. Rabat is the seat of government. Tangier and Nador are the two major northern seaports on the Mediterranean. Fez is a cultural, religious and industrial centre. Marrakesh and Agadir are the two major tourist centres. Oujda is the largest city of eastern Morocco. Meknes houses the military academy. Kenitra has the largest military airbase. Mohammedia has the largest oil refineries and other major industrial installations.

Education

Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school (age 15). Nevertheless, many children—particularly girls in rural areas—still do not attend school. The country's illiteracy rate is usually around 50 percent for most of the country, but reaches as high as 90 percent among girls in rural regions. In July 2006, Prime minister Driss Jettou announced that illiteracy rate has declined by 39 percent, while two million people had attended literacy courses during the past four years.[26]

Morocco has about 660,000 students enrolled in 14 public universities. One of the oldest and among the most prestigious is Mohammed V in Rabat, with faculties of law, sciences, liberal arts, and medicine. University of Karueein, in Fez, has been a centre for Islamic studies for more than 1,000 years. Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, founded in 1993 by King Hassan II and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, is an English-medium, American-style university comprising about 1,700 students.

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.[27]

  • One birth every 48 seconds
  • One death every 3 minutes
  • One net migrant every 12 minutes
  • Net gain of one person every 1 minutes

The following demographics are from the CIA World Factbook[28] unless otherwise indicated.

Population

36,738,229 (2022 est.)
note: includes Western Sahara
33 million (2014)

Religions

Muslim 99% (official; virtually all Sunni, <0.1% Shia), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i); note - Jewish about 3,000-3,500 (2020 est.)

Age structure

Population pyramid of Morocco in 2020
0-14 years: 27.04% (male 4,905,626/female 4,709,333)
15-24 years: 16.55% (male 2,953,523/female 2,930,708)
25-54 years: 40.64% (male 7,126,781/female 7,325,709)
55-64 years: 8.67% (male 1,533,771/female 1,548,315)
65 years and over: 7.11% (male 1,225,307/female 1,302,581) (2020 est.)
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
0–14 years: 27.8% (male 4,514,623/female 4,382,487)
15–64 years: 66.1% (male 10,335,931/female 10,785,380)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 881,622/female 1,068,318) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 29.1 years. Country comparison to the world: 137th
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.6 years (2020 est.)
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
total: 26.9 years
male: 26.3 years
female: 27.4 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

0.91% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 107th
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
1.054% (2012 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.27 children born/woman (2023 est.) Country comparison to the world: 81th
2.29 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 79th
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
2.50 children born/woman (2004)
2.59 children born/woman (2011)[29]

Birth rate

17.42 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 89th
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
18.97 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Death rate

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 132nd
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
4.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

Net migration rate

-1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 165th
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
-3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

70.8% (2018)
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara

Urbanization

urban population: 64.6% of total population (2022)
rate of urbanization: 1.88% annual rate of change (2020–25 est.)
note: data does not include former Western Sahara
urban population: 58% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010–15 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2012 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 26.49 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 31.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.68 years Country comparison to the world: 145th
male: 71.98 years
female: 75.46 years (2022 est.)
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara
total population: 76.11 years
male: 73.04 years
female: 79.32 years (2012 est.)

Ethnic groups

Languages

Literacy

Definition: age 10 and over can read and write

total population: 73.8%
male: 83.3%
female: 64.6% (2018)
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara

Total population: 73.55% (2012)[31]

Category:Education in Morocco

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2020)

note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara

Major infectious diseases

note: clusters of cases of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are occurring in Morocco; as of 6 October 2021, Morocco has reported a total of 936,236 cases of COVID-19 or 2,536.5 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 38.94 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 2 October 2021, 60.91% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

total: 22.2%
male: 22%
female: 22.8% (2016 est.)
note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara

References

  1. "Morocco - People | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  2. "Morocco", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 10 August 2022, retrieved 18 August 2022
  3. "Morocco Population 2020 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. Le Tourneau, Roger (1966). "Ibn Khaldun, laudateur et contempteur des Arabes". Revue de l'Occident Musulman et de la Méditerranée. 2: 155–168. doi:10.3406/remmm.1966.933. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  5. Nelson, Harold D. (1985). Morocco, a Country Study. Headquarters, Department of the Army. p. 14.
  6. Aguade, Jordi; Cressier, Patrice; Vicente, Angeles, eds. (1998). Peuplement et arabisation au Maghreb occidental : dialectologie et histoire. Zaragoza: Casa de Velazquez.
  7. Shoup, John (2011). Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, Publishers. p. 16. ISBN 978-1598843620.
  8. Azagury, Yaëlle and Anouar Majid. "The Moroccan Exception in the Arab World." New York Times. 9 April 2019. 9 April 2019.
  9. Stearns, Peter N.; Leonard Langer, William (2001). The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged (6 ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 129–131. ISBN 978-0-395-65237-4.
  10. el-Hasan, Hasan Afif (1 May 2019). Killing the Arab Spring. Algora Publishing. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-62894-349-8. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  11. Nelson, Harold D. (1985). Morocco, a Country Study. Headquarters, Department of the Army. p. 14. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  12. "Morocco - University of Texas Libraries GeoData". geodata.lib.utexas.edu. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  13. Abderebbi, Mhammed. "Morocco Round 8 Summary of Results". Afro Barometer. Global for Survey and Consulting. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  14. "RGPH 2014". rgphentableaux.hcp.ma. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  15. "Illiteracy rate continue to decline in Morocco". www.moroccotimes.com. 19 July 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2006.
  16. "Morocco Population 2022", World Population Review
  17. Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from "Mauritius". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA. 2022. (Archived 2022 edition.)
  18. "Enquête Nationale sur la Population et la Santé Familiale 2011" (PDF). www.srvweb.sante.gov.ma (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  19. "Africa :: MOROCCO". CIA The World Factbook. 19 April 2022.
  20. "L'analphabétisme a reculé au Maroc". Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2008.

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