Moroccan Households Express Growing Pessimism Over Economy and Living Standards, Survey Finds

According to the survey results, the morale of Moroccan households deteriorated in 2019. "This negative sentiment is also observed in the evolution, between 2018 and 2019, of the situation of human rights, environmental protection and the quality of social services," the study specifies.

Over the next 12 months, 28.8% of households expect a deterioration in their standard of living, 44.5% expect it to remain at the same level and 26.7% expect an improvement, according to the HCP. These figures, however, reveal an expectation of an improvement in the standard of living in 2020. The balance of opinion on this indicator drops to minus 2.2 points in the fourth quarter of 2019, instead of 9 points in the same quarter of 2018, the same source said.

Regarding households’ perception of the evolution of unemployment, 79.5% against 7.9% of households expect an increase in unemployment over the next 12 months, in the fourth quarter of 2019. The balance of opinion thus remained negative, at minus 71.6 points, against minus 70 points a year earlier, the survey points out.

In terms of their financial situation, the HCP survey shows that households are slightly more optimistic. In the fourth quarter of 2019, 65.6% of households believe that their income covers their expenses, 30.4% say they are in debt or drawing on their savings, and 4% say they are saving part of their income. "The balance of opinion on the current financial situation of households thus remained negative, at minus 26.4 points against minus 28.4 points a year earlier," the HCP maintains.