Rabat – In a recent survey on consumption and household spending, The High Commission for Planning (HCP) revealed a worrying escalation in the country’s income gap.
Survey results have revealed that Top 10 % of Morocco’s Richest Households Spend 105 Times More on Leisure and 44 Times More on traveling Than Poorest Moroccans.
The survey, conducted on 16,000 households reveals that top wealthiest famlies spend 3.5% of their annual budget on leisure as compared to 0.4% for the poorest Moroccans. These families also spend 24% less on education, and communication and 44% less on the luxury of traveling.
Moroccan dietary choices were also made a part of the survey, highlighting some interesting differences. Reportedly, Moroccans prefer high protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy to foods high in calories.
This section of the survey went on to note an interesting difference in budgetary allotment for food expenditure. Families living in rural areas were found to have devoted 47.3% of the household budget to food expenditure, as compared to 33.3% in urban areas.
On a positive note, the survey also reveals that the standard of living in Morocco has almost doubled between 2001 and 2014, increasing from MAD 8,300 to MAD 15,900.
The survey credits this increase to spending more on education, culture, recreation, transportation, hygiene and medical care, especially among urban households. It’s important to note, however, that there are still 1.6 million Moroccans who suffer from abject poverty with a further 4.2 million considered vulnerable.
Edited by Constance Guindon
