Rabat — Morocco ranks among Africa’s top performers in fighting poverty — yet water shortages are quietly destroying that progress for millions of citizens, according to a recent Afrobarometer report.
The study findings revealed a troubling paradox: the North African country appears successful by traditional poverty measures, but its citizens struggle daily without clean water.
The report’s data indicated that nearly four in ten Moroccans (39%) said they occasionally lacked clean water for household use over the past year. One in four reports missing water several times or constantly. About one in five describe their water supply as bad or very bad.
This crisis forces families into difficult options, as those without reliable water spend money buying it at higher prices, lose hours gathering what they need, and face health problems that drain their resources even further.
The poorest households suffer most, the report showed.
Morocco actually performs better than most African countries on water insecurity. The country ranks second only to Seychelles in the number of citizens who report avoiding privations across five basic needs, namely food, clean water, medical care, cooking fuel, and a cash income.
The overall African rate of water insecurity stands at 44%, while Morocco’s sits at 39%.
Yet this seemingly good news masks a deeper problem: people who face regular water shortages live with poverty levels far higher than others. They remain locked in a cycle where, without water, they grow poorer, significantly limiting their access to affordable solutions.
The report argues that the disconnect reveals an important truth. It discusses how traditional poverty measures — which count how often people go without food or money — miss the real damage that water shortages cause.
In this sense, a family might not feel “poor” by those global measures, but in reality, they are excluded from essential services that define whether they can truly survive and thrive.
Signs of hope, with caveats
When it comes to the Moroccan government’s water management, citizens show greater confidence than average African citizens, with 55% believing their authorities are doing good work ensuring an adequate water supply.
Still, the report’s authors warn that time is running out as climate change intensifies droughts. Population growth puts more pressure on supplies, urging the government to invest heavily in water systems and ensure everyone gets fair access.
Without these changes, Morocco risks watching its progress against poverty rates reverse as water grows scarcer.
