Casablanca- Morocco is the only country in the MENA region to get a positive score in Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index (ICI). The results of the survey were published on Gallup’s official website.
The North African kingdom topped the 2013 ICI ranking scoring +20. On the other hand, all the MENA countries—excluding the Gulf Cooperation Council member states—saw their ICI scores significantly drop compared to the 2012 ranking.
Some of the MENA countries Morocco ranked ahead of are Israel (-3), Turkey (-7), Tunisia (-37), Egypt (-70) and Lebanon (-71). Egypt and Lebanon received the lowest economic confidence rating in the MENA region.
Morocco received the highest economic confidence rating in 2012 with +19 (+1 difference compared to 2013).
While the bulk of the MENA countries have not recorded any improvement in their 2013 ICI ratings, Israel, Jordan and Tunisia recorded a slight improvement, with Israel recording the highest positive difference.
Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index is based on the combined responses to two questions: the first asking individuals to rate economic conditions in their country today, and the second, whether they think economic conditions in the country as a whole are getting better or getting worse.
Asked about the current conditions of their countries’ economies, the bulk of the MENA region’s residents (46%) said they were “poor.” Only 20% of the residents said the conditions of their country’s economy were “excellent” or “good.”
Negative responses were also recorded when the MENA residents were asked about their speculations on the future of their respective country’s economy. More than half (56%) said the conditions were deteriorating.
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