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Rabat – Morocco has made progress in reducing illiteracy rates, especially among women and people in rural areas, according to the latest results of the 2024 census released by the High Commission for Planning (HCP) earlier this month.
The illiteracy rate in Morocco has decreased from 32.2% in 2014 to 24.8% in 2024. The decline is particularly noticeable in rural areas, where the illiteracy rate dropped from 47.5% to 38%. In urban areas, the rate also fell, from 22.6% to 17.3%.
Women have seen a notable improvement in their ability to read and write, with their illiteracy rate dropping from 42.1% to 32.4%. For men, the illiteracy rate decreased from 22.2% to 17.2%.
Illiteracy tends to increase with age, with 51% of Moroccans over 50 unable to read or write, compared to just 1.6% among children under 15 and 3% among those aged 15 to 24.
The HCP’s regional picture shows that illiteracy remains highest in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region, with a rate of 32%, followed by Marrakech-Safi (28.8%) and the Oriental region (28.3%).
The lowest illiteracy rates are found in Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab (14.8%), Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra (15.3%), Casablanca-Settat (19.6%), and Rabat-Sale-Kenitra (22.4%).
Read also: Morocco Sees Growth in Women-Led and Single Person Households
The census also showed improvements in children’s education throughout the country.
In the 2023/2024 school year, 62.7% of children between the ages of 4 and 5 attended preschool, with urban areas having a higher rate (66.8%) than rural areas (56.9%).
The enrollment of children aged 6 to 11 in school also increased from 94.5% to 95.8%. This growth is especially noticeable among girls in rural areas, where the rate of school attendance for girls in this age group rose from 93.9% to 95.9%. Overall, the number of girls attending school in Morocco has increased from 90% to 95.1%.
The education levels of adults have also improved.
The percentage of people aged 25 and older with at least a high school education increased from 30% to 39.1%. Meanwhile, the number of people without any education decreased from 44.6% to 36.3%. However, there remains a gender gap, as 45.7% of men aged 25 or above have at least a high school education, compared to 32.7% of women.
