Rabat – Morocco ranked seventh among African countries in the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), marking one of the continent’s greatest improvements over the past decade, according to the latest report by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
Published in October 2026, the index assesses governance performance across African countries between 2016 and 2025. Morocco scored 63.6 out of 100 in 2025, an increase of 6.4 points compared with its 2016 score, which helped the country climb eight positions to enter Africa’s top 10.
The North African country shares seventh place with Senegal, placing it among a small group of leading African countries that recorded sustained improvements over the assessment period, even as several other top-ranked countries experienced declines.
The report attributes Morocco’s progress in part to advances in institutional governance, particularly judicial reform and administrative capacity.
Judicial reforms drive Morocco’s progress
One of Morocco’s strongest performances came in the impartiality of its judicial system, where it ranked second in Africa after a 31.5-point improvement over the decade.
The report links this progress to institutional reforms that followed the adoption of Morocco’s 2011 Constitution. These include the transfer of responsibility for judicial appointments to the Supreme Council of the Judicial Power in 2017 and the separation of the public prosecution service from the Ministry of Justice.
Morocco also recorded a 28.2-point increase in the capacity of its national statistical system, reflecting improvements in its ability to collect and manage data.
The country’s performance in infrastructure and rural development further contributed to its overall standing. Morocco ranked first in Africa in the rural economy subcategory in 2025, according to the index.
Economic gains alongside governance challenges
The index recognizes Morocco’s performance in economic opportunity and human development, as well as its environmental policies and industrial regulation.
However, the report also points to differences in performance across governance indicators, with economic and infrastructure improvements not always matched by similar advances in political rights and civic participation.
This contrast reflects a broader challenge among some of Africa’s better-performing countries: translating economic development and stronger administrative institutions into wider political participation and stronger civic freedoms.
Morocco’s overall improvement therefore reflects significant progress in several areas of governance, while the remaining gaps underline the importance of further institutional reforms.
The 2026 IIAG provides a decade-long assessment of governance across the continent, examining how African governments have performed in delivering public services, upholding rights, creating economic opportunities, and strengthening democratic institutions.
