In Morocco, the main obstacle for businesses is not corruption, but the informal economy

The finding appears in the World Bank’s Country Private Sector Diagnostic 2026, which presents the results of a survey conducted among Moroccan businesses in 2023.

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When asked about their main obstacle, the practices of informal competitors therefore came clearly out on top. Corruption ranked second.

The informal sector ahead of taxes and the skills shortage

The gap with the other difficulties is even more pronounced: 9.2% of businesses cite the tax administration as their main obstacle, and 8.8% cite the lack of sufficiently qualified labor.

The World Bank notes that this competition from informal players can disadvantage businesses that fully bear the tax and regulatory burdens.

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The result does not minimize the weight of corruption, which remains the second most frequently cited obstacle. But when asked to identify their main problem, Moroccan businesses clearly place informal-sector practices at the top.