Moroccan Youth Are Becoming Less Religious, Study Shows

Marrakech – A recent academic study published in Nature Communications reveals that Morocco is experiencing early indicators of what researchers call a “secular transition” – a pattern of religious decline that follows a specific sequence across generations worldwide.

While Morocco remains highly religious overall, younger generations show subtle shifts in religious practices that mirror global trends.

The study, authored by scholars from the University of Lausanne, University of Oxford, and Pew Research Center, describes a three-stage process of religious decline that unfolds across generations: first, participation in worship services decreases; second, the importance of religion in personal lives diminishes; and finally, religious affiliation itself declines.

Morocco currently appears to be in the early stage of this transition, according to the study’s data visualization. Younger Moroccans under the age of 40 show slightly lower rates of religious participation compared to older generations, though the importance of religion and religious affiliation remain strong across age groups.

This pattern aligns with what researchers call the “Participation-Importance-Belonging” sequence, where aspects of religion requiring more time and resources are shed first.

The study indicates many African countries, including Morocco, are in this initial stage. In this stage, younger adults attend religious services less frequently than their elders but still identify with their religion and consider it very important.

“In Senegal, 78% of older adults attend worship services weekly, but younger adults are 14 percentage points less likely to do so. Yet almost all adults in Senegal – both young and old – still identify as Muslims and consider religion very important in their lives,” writes Conrad Hackett, senior demographer at Pew Research Center and co-author of the study.

The research examines countries across different religious traditions, finding that the pattern holds true across Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu-majority nations, though at different stages.

While European countries are typically in late stages of secular transition – with religious belonging as the main difference between generations – most Muslim-majority countries, including Morocco, show only the earliest signs of change.

Belief remains strong, though questioning voices rise

Despite these subtle generational shifts, Morocco remains among the most religious countries globally. A separate report by the Pew Research Center, published in August 2024, found that Morocco leads the MENA region in religiosity, with 90% of Moroccans prioritizing religion in their lives and over 70% praying daily.

The report, based on surveys conducted between 2008 and 2023, placed Morocco ahead of Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq in terms of the importance of religion in people’s lives.

The contrast between Morocco’s strong overall religiosity and the emerging generational differences reflects a complex religious landscape.

While public life in Morocco remains deeply shaped by Islam and the monarchy’s role as “Commander of the Faithful,” a quieter current of individualized religious practice exists, particularly among urban and younger populations.

In the North African country, Sunni Maliki Islam continues to profoundly influence public life, with religious observances like Ramadan, mosque attendance, Sufi festivals, and Islamic moral codes carrying significant social weight.

However, alongside this visible religiosity, a subtle undercurrent of atheism and irreligiosity exists, typically among urban, younger, and online populations. This trend manifests more as private doubt, ethical humanism, or cultural-but-not-devout identities rather than organized disbelief.

Moroccans balance heritage, modernity, and personal belief

Many Moroccans occupy a pragmatic middle ground where they cherish religious heritage while individualizing their beliefs and practices. This includes selective observance, personal spirituality, and the questioning of clerical authority.

Family expectations, legal norms around public morality, and social stigma keep most nonbelievers discreet, but forces of globalization, education, migration, and internet access steadily widen the space for alternative worldviews.

This situation represents not a collapse of faith, but a pluralization – where strong communal religiosity exists alongside growing, often private, irreligious and hybrid identities. Social pressures and legal frameworks continue to reinforce public religious expression, even as personal religious practice shows signs of gradual change.

The researchers caution that countries at early stages of the secular transition may not necessarily complete all three phases, and cultural or political factors can interrupt or reverse the process.

Eastern European post-communist countries, for example, showed different patterns due to religious revivals following the collapse of the Soviet Union.