Wealth concentrated in three regions
What contribution will the regions make to wealth creation in 2022, and what is their respective GDP? The answer is provided by the High Commissioners’ Office for Planning (HCP), which recently published regional accounts for the year 2022, a year marked by a marked slowdown in economic growth against a backdrop of rising inflation.
Analysis of the regional accounts for 2022 highlights a complex mosaic of economic performance across the country’s different regions. National GDP reached MAD 1,296 billion (USD 129 billion) in volume terms, recording moderate growth of 1.5% compared with 2021. This growth masks significant regional disparities, both in terms of growth and contribution to national wealth.
The year 2022 was characterized by significant growth disparities between regions, with only four exceeding the national average of 1.5%. Leading the way was the Souss-Massa region, with a remarkable growth rate of 7.5%, driven mainly by the preponderance of services, which account for 59.2% of its GDP. Agriculture and fisheries, although less dominant, nevertheless account for 17.4% of the regional economy. The Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (5.2%), Marrakech-Safi (4.6%), and Laâyoune-Saguia Al Hamra (2.9%) regions also outperformed. Conversely, two regions suffered a contraction in GDP: Béni Mellal-Khénifra recorded a significant drop of 4.7%, while Fez – Meknes saw a decline of 1.9%. These declines can be partly attributed to increased dependence on primary activities, which are particularly vulnerable to climatic and economic hazards.
The Casablanca-Settat region, despite being a national economic powerhouse, has seen its growth almost stagnate, with a rate of 0.2% in 2022. The region’s economy is largely dominated by the secondary sector (37.2% of regional GDP) and the tertiary sector (48% of regional GDP). Casablanca-Settat, the country’s main source of wealth, contributes 31.4% to national GDP, confirming its status as the powerhouse of the Moroccan economy.
The breakdown of GDP by value highlights the predominant role played by certain regions in the creation of national wealth. Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, and Tangiers-Tétouan-Al Hoceima stand out clearly, together accounting for almost 58% of national GDP. This concentration of wealth in a few regions has a direct impact on widening regional disparities. The average absolute gap between the GDP of the various regions and the average regional GDP has increased from 72 billion dirhams (USD 7.37 billion) in 2021 to 73.1 billion (USD 7.49 billion) in 2022, reflecting growing economic polarization.
Khadija MASMOUDI
