Survey Reveals Moroccan Views on Homosexuality, Religion, and Society

The latest survey by the pan-African organization Afrobarometer, published this week, offers a broad overview of public opinion in Morocco. The results depict a multi-faceted society, where well-established traditional values coexist with a marked adoption of modern technologies and a specific vision of the country’s place in the world.

Societal issues reveal predominantly conservative positions. Thus, homosexuality faces strong disapproval (nearly 80%), while acceptance remains very minority (2.5%). On abortion, opinions vary depending on the reasons: while it is largely rejected (over 56%) for financial reasons, and even by a third (33%) in cases of rape or incest, 33.6% consider it justifiable when the mother’s health is in danger. At the same time, support for the death penalty for serious crimes remains high at 70.4%.

On the institutional and religious front, the survey highlights an almost unanimous identification with Islam (over 98%) and solid confidence in the judicial system (over 68%). This finding strongly contrasts with the little credit given to opposition parties, which gather only 6.1% of favorable opinions.

Moroccan society is nonetheless open to the outside world and oriented towards modernity. Technological penetration is massive: over 96% of Moroccans own a phone, and nearly 80% are connected to the Internet. Banking is also progressing, with over 58% holding personal accounts. On the international front, Morocco’s position of neutrality in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is approved by about 60% of respondents, and more than half (55%) say they have never considered emigration.