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Rabat – The Legatum Institute, a London-based think-tank, published its 2019 Prosperity Index today, November 25. With a ranking of 100 out of 167, Morocco scored slightly below average on the index and just five places behind its North African neighbor Tunisia.
The index analyzes the performance of 167 nations across 65 policy-focused elements. The Legatum Institute aims to enable leaders around the world to set their agendas for growth and development and to create pathways from poverty to prosperity.
The Prosperity Index ranks countries according to three domains: Inclusive societies, open economies, and empowered people. Each domain includes four sub-categories such as security, investment, market access, personal freedom, health, education, social capital, and nature.
How did Morocco do?
Morocco fared especially well in the safety and security category with a score of 57, higher than that of the US.
The kingdom also placed average in the investment environment category and the market access and infrastructure category.
However, Morocco received low scores in the categories of personal freedom, health, education, and the natural environment. Morocco’s lowest score is in social capital due to the country’s poor civic participation and low institutional trust.
Overall, Morocco has declined since the 2018 Prosperity Index. This makes it one of only 19 countries to decline in the last decade.
How does MENA rank as a region?
As a region, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has the second-lowest prosperity rank, scoring poorly in most categories of consideration.
Seven MENA countries received average scores, while the remaining 13 scored below average or poor. The index does not include Palestine.
Safety and security, personal freedom, social capital, and natural environment are the weakest pillars in the region, according to the report.
Although the economic environment and education have improved in the region, MENA has suffered the greatest deterioration of safety and security in the world over the last decade. In addition, more than half of the region’s countries have seen a decline in personal freedoms.
The top-ranked country in MENA is Israel with a score of 31. According to the index, Morocco is safer than Israel and has a better natural environment.
The second-highest-ranking country in MENA is the UAE, which has the best social capital, market access and infrastructure, and economic quality in the region. However, Morocco’s natural environment and level of personal freedoms trump those of the UAE.
Overall findings
The top-ranked country on the Prosperity Index is Denmark, followed by Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland.
The weakest-performing country in the index is South Sudan, also ranking last in security, health, and education.
North America is the most prosperous region in the world, while the majority of deteriorating countries are in sub-Saharan Africa and MENA.
Overall, the Prosperity Index reports that global prosperity has improved, but the gap between the strongest and weakest performing countries has continued to widen.
The index celebrates this year’s global improvements in safety and security and social tolerance, but not all findings in the index are positive.
“It is concerning to see personal freedoms and governance deteriorating,” the report says.
“Although the rise in social capital is partially counterbalancing the failings of institutions, much more needs to be done to . . . drive greater levels of prosperity around the world.”
