Regional Inequality in a Growing Economy: The Case of Morocco

Mahmoud Arbouch Eduardo Amaral Haddad and Eduardo Amaral Haddad

No 2456, Policy briefs on Economic Trends and Policies from Policy Center for the New South

Abstract: AMorocco’s strong macroeconomic performance over the past two decades—anchored in infrastructure modernization, industrial diversification, and renewable energy leadership—has positioned it as a success story in the Global South. Yet these achievements mask persistent regional disparities that undermine inclusive development. Coastal regions such as Casablanca-Settat and Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima dominate economic activity, while hinterland and southern provinces face structural disadvantages in employment, connectivity, and public services. Drawing on the Williamson hypothesis of an inverted U-shaped relationship between growth and inequality, this policy brief situates Morocco on the upward slope of rising regional disparities. It examines the historical roots of spatial imbalance, the limits of decentralization, and the structural concentration of growth in metropolitan hubs. While recent reforms, including the New Development Model (2021) and the Investment Charter (2022), aim to foster territorial equity, sustained progress will require a shift toward territorially sensitive policies that empower regions to drive more balanced and inclusive national development.

Date: 2025-09
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.policycenter.ma/sites/default/files/20 ... do%20A.%20Haddad.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ocp:pbecon:p45_25

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Policy briefs on Economic Trends and Policies from Policy Center for the New South Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Policy Center for the New South's Customer service ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).