COVID-19 Crisis Could Push 1 Million Moroccans into Poverty, Study Finds

The report of this study entitled "Impacts of Covid-19 on the Moroccan economy: a first assessment" indicates that the social impacts of the health crisis are much more severe. Thousands of Moroccans have found themselves unemployed overnight. Those in the textile and clothing, transport, construction, trade and catering sectors are even more affected. Even if the allowances granted by the State help to cope with the situation, the purchasing power of Moroccans has greatly diminished. "People who have completely lost their income and have no savings are at risk of falling into the spectrum of poverty," even with the allowances.

According to the think tank’s economists, 1 million Moroccans could find themselves below 13 dirhams per day, or $1.4. Similarly, the vulnerable population living on less than $2.25/day or 20 dirhams, should represent 5.8 million people by the end of 2020.

According to figures from the High Commission for Planning, 190,000 people have become unemployed since the start of the crisis, between the first and third quarters of 2020, increasing the unemployment rate from 10.5% to 12.7%, and could quickly reach 13.6%.