Agadir – Despite Morocco’s progress in access to health care, education, and social services for people with disabilities, inequalities persist, particularly linked to gender, age, and place of residence, according to the new report shared by the High Commission for Planning (HCP)
The HCP report about the disabled community in Morocco based its analysis on data from the 2024 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH 2024), indicating that Morocco has 1.73 million people with disabilities.
This estimated number represents a prevalence rate of 4.8%, showing a decline compared to 2014, when the rate stood at 5.1%. This decline is attributed to an improvement in the rate of persons with disabilities in cities, while rural regions continue to record stable or slightly higher rates, particularly among women.
Challenges facing people with disabilities
HCP noted that almost 67.7% of persons with disabilities have no formal education, with women and rural populations facing the greatest disadvantages. This has continued to limit their opportunities for employment. Currently, only 8.9% are employed in the workforce, mostly in the private sector or self-employment.
However, the HCP reported that access to health care has improved, and health insurance now covers 63.3% of people living with disabilities. Yet, gender and regional inequalities still persist.
The cases of Moroccans facing severe disability with complete loss of autonomy are limited, totaling about 1.1% of the population, or almost half a million individuals, in the year 2024. This number has remained relatively stable during the past ten years.
Half of the individuals with severe disability are elderly, and the percentage is higher among women and in rural areas. Mobility is one of the most important issues, which plays a significant role in dependency.
Looking ahead, HCP projected that the number of people with disabilities in Morocco could range between 1.6 and 2 million people in 2050, depending on future developments.
Although better health and social circumstances may lead to a gradual decrease, Morocco’s aging population is expected to continue shaping the overall trend.
Disabilities among the Moroccan population
HCP analysis showed vision-related disabilities are the most common, with a rate of 11.1%, followed by mobility-related disabilities (6.7%) and hearing impairments (5.7%). Cognitive disorders (3.8%), difficulties with self-care (3.7%), and communication problems (2.7%) show lower prevalence rates, yet remain significant.
The report explained that place of living is a key factor that influences the prevalence rate of disability among people, noting that the rate of disability among individuals residing in rural areas is higher than that among individuals residing in urban areas.
People suffering vision disabilities in rural areas is about 12.7% whereas in urban areas 10.2%. Moroccans facing hearing problems in rural areas is 7.1%, whereas urban areas is 4.9%, and mobility in rural areas is 8.1%, whereas urban areas is 5.8%