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Casablanca — Morocco’s National Agency for Social Support (ANSS) has published its first annual activity report, outlining the scale and impact of the country’s Direct Social Aid program after its first full year of operation.
The report, submitted to King Mohammed VI in accordance with the agency’s founding law, presents 2025 as a foundational year for the institution tasked with managing, monitoring and evaluating direct social assistance across the country.
Since the launch of the program in December 2023, nearly 3.9 million households have received support, including 5.5 million children and 1.7 million elderly people. By the end of 2025, a total of MAD 51 billion had been distributed to beneficiary families. The annual budget allocated to the program represents around 2% of Morocco’s GDP, above the 0.5% to 1.5% range typically observed in developing countries.
The ANSS said 60% of beneficiaries live in rural areas. According to the report, the geographical distribution of aid closely mirrors Morocco’s multidimensional poverty map, suggesting that the Unified Social Registry is effectively directing support toward the most vulnerable communities.
Child support accounts for the largest share
Children remain the main focus of the program. Child protection measures accounted for 64.2% of total funds distributed, equivalent to MAD 32.7 billion. Around 2.45 million households received support tied to 5.5 million children under the age of 21. A further MAD 18.2 billion was distributed through fixed allowances benefiting 1.47 million households.
The agency noted that 84% of aid reaches the poorest 30% of the population. The acceptance rate for applications reached 91% by the end of 2025, compared with 45.5% during the early stages of implementation. During the initial rollout between December 2023 and February 2024, authorities processed 2.3 million applications in the first month alone, with that figure rising to 4.1 million two months later.
To better understand beneficiaries, the agency conducted a statistical segmentation of households and identified five main groups. These include 1.2 million “emerging households,” 986,000 “households in transition,” 946,000 elderly couples referred to as “life tandems,” 584,000 mostly elderly women living alone, and 156,000 isolated individuals without family support.
Beneficiaries seek jobs and better opportunities
An ANSS field survey conducted 18 months after the launch of the program surveyed 1,800 households and found strong levels of satisfaction among beneficiaries. More than nine out of ten respondents said they were satisfied with the program, while 87% reported lower financial stress. Nearly half said they were better able to cope with financial shocks, and 45% said they had used the support to repay debts.
The aid is primarily used for essential expenses. Food accounted for 58.6% of spending, followed by housing costs at 13.3%, healthcare at 13.2%, and education at 7%.
The survey also pointed to growing expectations beyond direct financial assistance. 40% of beneficiaries said they wanted support to access employment or launch income-generating activities, while 60% said they would exchange the aid for a stable job. Meanwhile, 77% said they hoped their children would reach higher education.
As part of that approach, ANSS opened its first pilot territorial office in El Jadida in December 2025. The agency says the model is intended to gradually transform social aid from a financial support mechanism into a tool for economic and social inclusion through individualized follow-up and partnerships with local actors.
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