Fez — Morocco’s mobile telephony market exceeded 66.1 million subscriptions by the end of September 2025, pushing the national mobile penetration rate to a historic 166%, according to figures released by the Direction des études et des prévisions financières.
The data, published in the DEPF’s latest economic outlook note and reported by the Maghreb Arab Press, show a continued rise in mobile connectivity across the country.
However, the figures do not indicate a sudden demographic shift. Instead, they reflect how Moroccans increasingly hold more than one mobile subscription.
What 166% penetration actually means
Morocco’s population is estimated at around 38.7 million people. With more than 66.1 million mobile subscriptions, the penetration rate surpasses 100% because many users hold multiple SIM cards.
On average, this means there are roughly 1.6 to 1.7 mobile lines per person. The statistic counts subscriptions, not individual users. A single person may own a personal phone, a work line, and a separate data-only SIM, each of which is recorded as a separate subscription.
This pattern is common in markets where prepaid mobile services dominate and where SIM cards are affordable and easy to obtain.
Slower growth in a maturing market
Despite the record penetration rate, overall growth in mobile subscriptions is slowing. The DEPF reported that the mobile subscriber base expanded by 1.5% during the first nine months of 2025, compared to 5.1% during the same period in 2024.
This slowdown suggests the market is reaching maturity. Most residents already have access to mobile services, and future growth is increasingly driven by additional lines per user rather than by new users entering the market.
Business subscriptions also contribute to the inflated figures. Companies often maintain dozens or even hundreds of mobile lines for staff and operations, all of which are counted in national totals.
Internet subscriptions follow the same pattern
A similar dynamic is visible in the internet segment. Morocco recorded more than 43.4 million internet subscriptions by the end of September 2025. This represents a growth rate of 3.1% over the first nine months of the year, down from 6.5% during the same period in 2024.
Internet penetration reached 117.9%, up from 112.7% in September 2024 and 74.1% in September 2019. As with mobile services, this figure reflects multiple subscriptions per household or user, such as mobile data plans combined with fixed home internet connections.
A highly connected country
The latest figures underline Morocco’s high level of connectivity rather than an anomaly in population statistics. Telecommunications have become central to daily life, supporting digital payments, online services, remote work, and education.
As subscriber growth stabilizes, the focus of the sector is likely to shift toward service quality, network upgrades, and data usage rather than expanding the user base. The record penetration rates highlight how deeply mobile and internet services are embedded in Morocco’s social and economic landscape.
