Morocco’s Civil Service Wage Bill Soars, Straining Public Finances

The average civil servant’s salary has been steadily increasing for a decade. According to L’Économiste, it has increased by 30.14% between 2014 and 2024, reaching 9,500 dirhams currently. The minimum wage, for its part, has increased from 3,000 dirhams in 2014 to 4,000 dirhams in 2024 and should be set at 4,500 dirhams next year. But this continued increase in state personnel costs "weighs heavily on public finances, raising questions about its long-term sustainability," observes the specialized daily, noting that the majority of civil servants (about 70%) earn between 6,000 and 14,000 dirhams, and an insignificant number (3.57%), more than 20,000 dirhams.

With the recruitment of 28,906 new agents in 2025, these expenses should reach 180.27 billion dirhams (including 24.09 billion for social contributions and retirement), which represents 10.96% of GDP and nearly 53% of the planned investment. "Today, the number of civil servants reaches 570,917 people, or an average of 15 civil servants per 1,000 people. It must also be said that over the past ten years, the government has created 264,812 budgetary positions," details the publication, specifying that to this figure are added the 159,000 positions at the regional academies of Education and Training.