• General information

Morocco has a territorial extension of 446.550 km2 and a population of 33,241,259 inhabitants. 58% of the population is urban and 33.4% is poor (1). According to the Report of the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Residing Overseas (2005) (Fondation Hassan II Pour les Marocains Résidant à l’Etranger (2) - 2005), the Moroccan population living overseas went from 1.31 million inhabitants in 1995 to 2.2 million inhabitants in 2001, representing an increase of 68% in 6 years. In 2001, this population represented approximately 7.5% of Moroccans.

It is pointed out in the same Report that in France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Spain (in this order of importance), lived 77% of MRE (Moroccans Residing Overseas) in 2003 according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Other countries of destination for Moroccans besides Europe (4/5 of MRE) are the United States, Canada, Libya, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Sultanate of Oman, South Africa and Ivory Coast, Russia and Romania.

• Gender

Development index relating to gender (rank)	95/177
Development index relating to gender (index)	0.615
Gender inequality in education (rate of female alphabetization as a % of male rate), 2004	60%
Rate of female economic activity (% between 15 or more years), 2004	26.7%

According to the Hein de Hass article (2005) (3), although the alphabetization rate is low, it is constantly increasing. However, the gap between men and women continues to be significant: 75% of young adults between 15 and 24 years were alphabetized, versus 56% of young adult women, according to World Bank (2000) data mentioned in the report.

Hein de Haas (2007) (4) recognizes that the Moroccan society is strongly patriarchal. Since two decades ago, the nuclear family has progressively been the pattern, but before, the men who emigrated sent remittances to their extended families with the objective of maintaining control of women’s chastity while they were absent. After the divorce came into effect, migration has also accelerated the change towards nuclear families as well as one-parent families with a female as head of the family. According to Fadloullah (2000, p130 in Hein de Haas 2007) the proportion of homes with a female head is double the households with migrants compared to households with no migrants. Several changes related to migration can be mentioned. Women with migrant husbands can hire persons to do physical chores, therefore, the husband’s absence does not represent a heavy burden and at the same time they gain status with respect to women of non-migrant households. Also, another harmful effect is that some chores carried out by women as a result of men’s absence, are avoided by young men because they are “women’s responsibility”. However, the husband’s emigration does not necessarily represent a liberation since for some women who have not made the decision to leave, emigration only represents an overload and responsibility which is not assumed in a positive manner. The positive effects of migration are on one hand, the increase of the educational level of boys and girls and on the other hand, the tendency towards the European household model, with fewer children and being more independent from the extended family

• Sender countries towards Morocco

Morocco is the fourth country worldwide that benefits from Dollar remittances, after India, México and Philippines. France is the country from where most remittances are sent (44.5%), followed by Italy (12.7%) and Spain (9.2%).

• Evolution of remittances

According to the report “Moroccans from Overseas and Development” (Marocains de l’Extérieur et Développement) (2005) (5), remittances multiplied by 77 between 1971 and 2001, with periods of less or greater increase. The factors that best explain the flows are the labour and economic opportunities of destination countries and the number of migrants.

• Moroccan income on account of remittances and compared to other income received by the country

As shown in the following chart, remittances represent a flow greater than international assistance or direct foreign investment.

• Distribution of household income and remitances

According to the report “Moroccans from Overseas and Development” “Marocains de l’Extérieur et Développement” (2005) (6) , it is estimated that non-residents deposit 66% more money in Moroccan accounts than residents. However, the study points out that until now no evaluation has been made of the utilization given to migrants’ remittances and savings. The number of accounts opened by the MRE increases constantly, with deposits mostly in Dirhams. Moroccans residing overseas deposit on average 11% more than residents.

• Equipment of households that receive remittances and total for the country

Bank financing is first directed to housing (95%), secondly to consumption (4.6%) and the proportion for equipping is not significant (0.3%). The zones of Rabat (37.5%) and Kenitra (15.6%) arre the most important as far as financing is concerned.

• Characteristics of households receiving remittances

According to Hein de Haas (2007) (7), although the middle and higher class would receive more, remittances would ease the level of poverty of approximately 1.17 millions of a total of 30 million Moroccans.

(1) According to data from UNDP.
(2) Moroccans residing Abroad -Maroccans Overseas, abreviado MRE.
(3) Hein de Haas, Morocco’s migration transition : trends, determinants and future scenarios, en Global Migration Perspectives, N.28, April 2005, Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM), Geneva. [pdf] Global Migration Perspectives No. 28
(4) Hein de Haas, The impact of international migration on social and economic development in Moroccan sending regions: a review of the empirical literature”, Working Paper, International Migration Institute, University of Oxford, Year 2007
(5) « Marocains de l’extérieur et Développement », Janvier 2005, Fondation Hassan II de Marocains résidant à l’étranger, Rabat-Maroc, 180p
(6) « Marocains de l’extérieur et Développement », Janvier 2005, Fondation Hassan II de Marocains résidant à l’étranger, Rabat-Maroc, 180p
(7) Hein de Haas, The impact of international migration on social and economic development in Moroccan sending regions: a review of the empirical literature”, Working Paper, International Migration Institute, University of Oxford, Year 2007


The information presented here is a preliminary approach of a research which is currently in progress. To see the institutional information of this project, please go to the “Case Studies” section.