Editing Morocco (section)

== Demographics ==
{{main|Demographics of Morocco|Moroccans}}

=== Population ===
Morocco has a population of around {{UN_Population|Morocco}} inhabitants ({{UN_Population|Year}} estimate).{{UN_Population|ref}} Morocco's population was 11.6 million in 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcp.ma/Population-du-Maroc-par-annee-civile-en-milliers-et-au-milieu-de-l-annee-par-milieu-de-residence-1960-2050_a677.html|title=Population du Maroc par année civile (en milliers et au milieu de l'année) par milieu de résidence : 1960 – 2050|first=Youssef|last=Maaroufi|access-date=7 January 2012|archive-date=27 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227092030/http://www.hcp.ma/Population-du-Maroc-par-annee-civile-en-milliers-et-au-milieu-de-l-annee-par-milieu-de-residence-1960-2050_a677.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2024, 49.7% of the population is female, while 50.3% of it is male.<ref name=":15" /> According to the 2014 Morocco population census, there were around 84,000 immigrants in the country. Of these foreign-born residents, most were of [[French people|French]] origin, followed by individuals mainly from various nations in West Africa and Algeria.<ref>{{cite book |last1=OECD |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yTIxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |title=Talent Abroad: A Review of Moroccan Emigrants |date=2017 |publisher=OECD Publishing |isbn=978-9264264281 |page=167 |access-date=31 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010194758/https://books.google.com/books?id=yTIxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> There are also a number of foreign residents of [[Spanish people|Spanish]] origin. Some of them are descendants of colonial settlers, who primarily work for European multinational companies, while others are married to Moroccans or are retirees. Prior to independence, Morocco was home to half a million [[European Moroccans|Europeans]], most of whom were [[Christian]]s.<ref>De Azevedo, Raimondo Cagiano (1994) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=N8VHizsqaH0C&pg=PA25 Migration and development co-operation.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101114550/https://books.google.com/books?id=N8VHizsqaH0C&pg=PA25|date=1 November 2022}}''. Council of Europe. p. 25. {{ISBN|92-871-2611-9}}.</ref> Also, prior to independence, Morocco was home to 250,000 Spaniards.<ref>[http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?id=97 Spain: Forging an Immigration Policy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121133912/http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=97|date=21 January 2014}}, Migration Information Source</ref> Morocco's once prominent [[Jews|Jewish]] minority has decreased significantly since its peak of 265,000 in 1948, declining to around 3,500 in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Morocco |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/morocco/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222135123/https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/morocco/ |archive-date=22 February 2024 |access-date=31 March 2024 |publisher=[[United States Department of State]]}}</ref>

Morocco has a large [[Moroccan diaspora|diaspora]], most of which is located in France, which has reportedly over one million Moroccans of up to the third generation. There are also large Moroccan communities in Spain (about 700,000 Moroccans),<ref>{{Cite book |title=Avance del Padrón a 1 de enero de 2009. Datos provisionales |publisher=[[Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)|Instituto Nacional de Estadística]] |year=2009 |location=Spain |chapter=Población extranjera por sexo, país de nacionalidad y edad (hasta 85 y más). |ref=CITEREFINE2009 |access-date=13 June 2009 |chapter-url=http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=00000010.PX&type=pcaxis&L=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710133750/http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do?path=/t20/e245/p04/provi/l0/&file=00000010.px&type=pcaxis&L=0 |archive-date=10 July 2019}}</ref> the Netherlands (360,000), and Belgium (300,000).<ref>{{cite web |date=October 2005 |title=Morocco: From Emigration Country to Africa's Migration Passage to Europe |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=339 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210100911/http://migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=339 |archive-date=10 February 2014 |access-date=1 August 2011 |publisher=Migrationinformation.org}}</ref> Other large communities can be found in Italy, Canada, the United States and Israel, where [[Moroccan Jews]] are thought to constitute the second biggest Jewish ethnic subgroup.<ref>{{cite web |date=2015 |title=Table 2.8 – Jews, by country of origin and age |url=https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2016/2.ShnatonPopulation/st02_08x.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013064516/https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2016/2.ShnatonPopulation/st02_08x.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2021 |access-date=22 April 2021 |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref> Morocco is also the country with the largest Berber population in the world,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Colon |first=Alexis |date=2018-10-01 |title=Who and What is Amazigh? Self-Assertion, Erasure, and Standardization |url=https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3001/ |journal=Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Berber {{!}} Definition, People, Languages, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berber |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> with estimates typically ranging between 40–60% of the population.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ncube |first1=Lyton |last2=Mkwendi |first2=Chengeto Pauline |last3=Batisayi |first3=Amos |date=2024-08-17 |title=Victory for Africa or the Arab world? Moroccan nationalism, Arab exceptionalism, pan-African solidarity and digital fandom during the 2022 FIFA World Cup |journal=Soccer & Society |language=en |volume=25 |issue=4–6 |pages=673–692 |doi=10.1080/14660970.2024.2332092 |issn=1466-0970|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Laaguid |first=Brahim Ait |date=2022-05-08 |title=Amazigh in Morocco through the Lens of the U.S. State Department's Reports between 1999 and 2020: A Critical Discourse Analysis |url=https://arbitrer.fib.unand.ac.id/index.php/arbitrer/article/view/317 |journal=Jurnal Arbitrer |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=1–16 |doi=10.25077/ar.9.1.1-16.2022 |doi-broken-date=4 February 2025 |issn=2550-1011|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==== Ethnic groups ====
[[File:Morocco ethno 1973 all.svg|thumb|Ethnolinguistic map of Morocco (1973)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morocco - University of Texas Libraries GeoData |url=https://geodata.lib.utexas.edu/catalog/princeton-fq977x643 |access-date=2022-09-28 |website=geodata.lib.utexas.edu}}</ref>]]
In Morocco, [[ethnic identity]] is deeply intertwined with language and culture, with the population primarily comprising two major groups: [[Arabs]] and [[Berbers]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=El Haimeur |first=Amar |date=2017 |title=Ethnolinguistic Identity in Morocco |url=https://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=fieldnotes |journal=Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Maroc: population |url=https://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/divers/Maroc_population/185524 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Larousse |language=fr}}</ref> However, the [[Haut Commissariat au Plan (Morocco)|Higher Planning Commission]], the country’s state statistics bureau, does not collect data on ethnic demographics, citing the historical difficulty of distinguishing between Arabs and Berbers, even among Berber speakers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ibriz |first=Lina |date=2024-08-30 |title=Budget, RSU, langue ... : à la veille du RGPH 2024, Lahlimi Alami fait un dernier point |url=https://ledesk.ma/2024/08/30/budget-rsu-langue-a-la-veille-du-rgph-2024-lahlimi-fait-un-dernier-point/ |work=Le Desk}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Language, Race, and Territory |date=2021 |work=The Invention of the Maghreb: Between Africa and the Middle East |pages=123–169 |editor-last=Hannoum |editor-first=Abdelmajid |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/invention-of-the-maghreb/language-race-and-territory/0BB5D39C95D5CB83F968316FE3417031 |access-date=2024-11-21 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108937337.004 |isbn=978-1-108-83816-0}}</ref>

[[Arabs]] form the largest and majority [[Ethnicity|ethnic group]],<ref name=":102">{{Cite book |last1=Teebi |first1=Ahmad S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6K_fj4Oicm8C&pg=PA30 |title=Genetic Disorders Among Arab Populations |last2=Farag |first2=Talaat I. |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-509305-6 |language=en |quote=Majority Arabs, 35% Berbers}}</ref><ref name=":132">{{Cite book |last1=Picard |first1=Louis A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ct4_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA273 |title=Sustainable Development and Human Security in Africa: Governance as the Missing Link |last2=Buss |first2=Terry F. |last3=Seybolt |first3=Taylor B. |last4=Lelei |first4=Macrina C. |date=2015-04-22 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4822-5543-0 |language=en |quote=Although the majority of Moroccans are Arabs, the Berbers (or Amazigh) represent 30%. Berbers are spread out in rural areas: the Rif Mountains, Middle High, and Anti-Atlas, and southern Souss Valley, as well as Morocco's major cities.}}</ref> making up between 65%<ref name=":62">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fs0Fog7XneUC&pg=PA11 |title=The Report: Morocco 2012 |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford Business Group |isbn=978-1-907065-54-5 |language=en |quote=Morocco's population is approximately 67% Arab, 31% indigenous Berber and 2% Sahrawi |access-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307021801/https://books.google.com/books?id=fs0Fog7XneUC&pg=PA11 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Son |first1=George Philip & |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UD0kOEb1XIC&pg=PA161 |title=Encyclopedic World Atlas |last2=Press |first2=Oxford University |date=2002-12-26 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-521920-3 |language=en |quote=Arab 70%, Berber 30%}}</ref> and 80%<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sun |first=Xiaoming |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvm4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA908 |title=World Health Systems |date=2019-12-12 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-50887-8 |language=en |quote=More than 80% of Moroccans are Arab, while the remaining 20% are Berber}}</ref> of the Moroccan population. It is estimated that the indigenous [[Berbers]] constitute between 30%<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":102" /><ref name=":132" /> and 35% of the population.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Arnold |first=Guy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2S2AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA155 |title=Guide to African Political and Economic Development |date=2014-01-27 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-97062-8 |language=en |quote=Arab 70%}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-01 |title=Who Are the Berber People? |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-are-the-berber-people.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US |quote=The majority of the Berber people live in Morocco accounting for at least 35% of the population and in Algeria where they form at least 15% of the population.}}</ref> Berbers, who are also known as Amazigh, are typically divided into three main groups with varying dialects who live spread out in rural mountain areas, namely the [[Rifians]] in the [[Rif]], the [[Zayanes]] in the [[Middle Atlas]], and the [[Shilha people]] in the [[Anti-Atlas]].<ref name=":132"/> Since the 7th century, the [[Arab migrations to the Maghreb|influx of Arab migrants]] from the [[Arabian Peninsula]] has contributed to shaping Morocco’s demographic, cultural, and genetic landscape.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arauna |first1=Lara R. |last2=Mendoza-Revilla |first2=Javier |last3=Mas-Sandoval |first3=Alex |last4=Izaabel |first4=Hassan |last5=Bekada |first5=Asmahan |last6=Benhamamouch |first6=Soraya |last7=Fadhlaoui-Zid |first7=Karima |last8=Zalloua |first8=Pierre |last9=Hellenthal |first9=Garrett |last10=Comas |first10=David |date=February 2017 |title=Recent Historical Migrations Have Shaped the Gene Pool of Arabs and Berbers in North Africa |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=318–329 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msw218 |issn=0737-4038 |pmc=5644363 |pmid=27744413}}</ref> Additionally, a considerable portion of the population includes [[Haratin]], [[Sahrawis]], and [[Gnawa]], descendants of West African or mixed-race [[Trans-Saharan slave trade|enslaved peoples]], as well as [[Morisco]]s, European Muslims expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254867/Haratin |title=Haratin (social class) |publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia |access-date=23 June 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813024920/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254867/Haratin |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Saharawis in Western Sahara |url=https://minorityrights.org/communities/saharawis/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Minority Rights Group |language=en-US}}</ref>

According to ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', 44% of Moroccans are Arab, 24% are [[Arabized Berber]]s, 21% are Berbers and 10% are Mauritanian Moors.<ref name="Climate of Morocco2">{{cite web |date=23 August 2024 |title=Climate of Morocco |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco/Climate#ref214372 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, [[Minority Rights Group International]] estimates that around 90,000 [[Sahrawis]] reside in internationally recognized Morocco, compared to approximately 190,000 in the disputed Western Sahara.<ref name=":10" />

=== Religion ===
{{main|Religion in Morocco}}{{Multiple image
| total_width       = 400
| image1            = Inside of a mosque in Fes (5364764412).jpg
| image2            = Hassan II mosque, Casablanca 2.jpg
| perrow            = 2
| image3            = Bet El synagogue Casablanca - bima (1051699955).jpg
| image4            = Moroccan Christians from Tangier.jpg
| caption1          = The interior of a mosque in [[Fes]], Islam is the predominant religion in Morocco
| caption2          = The [[Hassan II Mosque]] in Casablanca
| caption3          = The [[Temple Beth-El (Casablanca)|Beth-El Synagogue]] in Casablanca, Judaism was the main minority religion in Morocco
| caption4          = The [[St Andrew's Church, Tangier|St Andrew's Church]] in Tangier, an [[Anglican church]] built in 1894
}}
The religious affiliation in the country was estimated by the [[Pew Forum]] in 2010 as 99% [[Muslim]], with all remaining groups accounting for less than 1% of the population.<ref name="pewrel">{{cite web|title=Religious Composition by Country|url=http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/globalReligion-tables.pdf|work=Global Religious Landscape|publisher=Pew Forum|access-date=9 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309232331/http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/globalReligion-tables.pdf|archive-date=9 March 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Of those affiliated with Islam, virtually all are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni Muslims]], with [[Shia Islam|Shia Muslims]] accounting for less than 0.1%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/#people-and-society |title=Morocco |work=The World Factbook |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] |date=12 September 2022 |access-date=18 September 2022 |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191738/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/#people-and-society |url-status=live }}</ref> However, nearly 15% of Moroccans nonetheless describe themselves as non religious according to a 2018 survey conducted by the research network Arab Barometer; the same survey saw nearly 100 percent of respondents identify as Muslims.<ref name="poll">{{cite web|title=Survey Shows Faith in Decline in Morocco, in the Arab World|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/06/276676/survey-islam-decline-morocco-arab-world/|work=Arab Barometer|date=25 June 2019 |access-date=9 August 2020|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825020928/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/06/276676/survey-islam-decline-morocco-arab-world/|url-status=live}}</ref> Another 2021 Arab Barometer survey found that 67.8% of Moroccans identified as religious, 29.1% as somewhat religious, and 3.1% as non religious.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Data Analysis Tool – Arab Barometer |url=https://www.arabbarometer.org/survey-data/data-analysis-tool/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=21 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821161350/https://www.arabbarometer.org/survey-data/data-analysis-tool/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2015 [[Gallup International Association|Gallup International]] poll reported that 93% of Moroccans considered themselves to be religious.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2015 |title=Losing Our Religion? Two Thirds of People Still Claim to Be Religious |url=https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33531/losing-our-religion-two-thirds-of-people-still-claim-to-be-religious/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |website=Gallup International |language=en-US |archive-date=11 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411115246/https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33531/losing-our-religion-two-thirds-of-people-still-claim-to-be-religious/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Prior to Morocco's independence in 1956, the country was home to a significant [[Christianity in Morocco|Christian community]], numbering over [[European Moroccans|500,000 Christians]], predominantly of Spanish and French ancestry.<ref name = "Decolonization" /> These Catholic settlers had a historic legacy and a powerful presence.<ref name = "Decolonization" />  However, following Morocco's independence, many of these Christian settlers left to Spain or France.<ref name="Decolonization">{{cite book|title=Area Handbook for Morocco|first=Richard |last=F. Nyrop|year= 1972| isbn= 9780810884939| page =97|publisher=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign}}</ref> The predominantly [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and [[Protestant]] foreign-resident [[Christianity|Christian]] community consists of approximately 40,000 practising members. Most foreign resident [[Christians]] reside in the [[Casablanca]], [[Tangier]], [[Marrakesh]] and [[Rabat]] urban areas.<ref name=irfr2023>{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2023 – Morocco|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/morocco/}}</ref> Meanwhile, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights estimates there are 25,000 Christian citizens.<ref name=irfr2023/>

Before the [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|founding]] of the [[State of Israel]] in 1948, there were about [[Moroccan Jews|265,000 Jews]]<ref name="ewhmorocco">{{worldhistory|quote=p. 966|section=3770}}</ref> in the country, which gave Morocco the largest Jewish community in the [[Muslim world]]. The most recent estimates put the size of the historic Casablanca Jewish community at about 2,500,<ref>Sergio DellaPergola, [http://www.bjpa.org/Publications/downloadPublication.cfm?PublicationID=16432 World Jewish population] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203032451/http://www.bjpa.org/Publications/downloadPublication.cfm?PublicationID=16432 |date=3 December 2013 }}, 2012, p. 62.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Jews of Morocco |url=https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/morocco |publisher=The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot |access-date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=10 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810080356/https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/morocco |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Rabat and Marrakesh Jewish communities at about 100 members each. The remainder of the Jewish population is dispersed throughout the country. This population is mostly elderly, with a decreasing number of young people.<ref name=irfr2011>{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report for 2011 – Morocco|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm|publisher=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor|access-date=21 May 2019|archive-date=25 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325215847/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Baháʼí Faith]] community, located in urban areas, numbers 350 to 400 persons.<ref name=irfr2011/><!-- The source has it in the Morocco section -->

=== Languages ===
{{main|Languages of Morocco}}
[[File:Morocco - Linguistic map.png|upright=1.4|thumb|Linguistic map of Morocco]]
Morocco's official languages are [[Arabic]] and [[Berber language|Berber]].<ref name="Const1" /><ref name="cons eff">{{cite web|last=Government of Morocco|title=BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|url=http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO/bulletin/AR/2011/BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316221623/http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO/bulletin/AR/2011/BO_5964-Bis_Ar.pdf|archive-date=16 March 2012}}</ref> The country's distinctive group of Moroccan Arabic dialects is referred to as [[Darija]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wehr|first1=Hans|title=A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic: (Arab.-Engl.)|date=1979|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=3447020024|page=319|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTak55pG-_IC&pg=PA319|access-date=30 September 2017}}</ref> Approximately 92.7% of the whole population can speak Arabic. Berber languages are spoken by 24.8% of the population in three dialects ([[Riff language|Tarifit]] spoken by 3.2%, [[Shilha language|Tashelhit]] spoken by 14.2% and [[central Morocco Tamazight|Central Atlas Tamazight]] spoken by 7.4%).<ref name="RGPH 2024" /> According to the [[2024 Moroccan census|2024 census]], 99.2%, or almost the entire literate population of Morocco, could read and write in Arabic, whereas 1.5% of the population could read and write in Berber. The census also reported that 80.6% of Moroccans consider Arabic to be their native language, while 18.9% regard any of the various Berber languages as their mother tongue.<ref name="RGPH 2024" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Babas |first=Latifa |date=18 December 2024 |title=How many Moroccans consider Tamazight their mother tongue, and where do they live ? |url=https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/157719/many-moroccans-consider-tamazight-their.html |work=Yabiladi}}</ref> After Morocco declared independence in 1956, French and Arabic became the main languages of administration and education.<ref name="Rouchdy71" />

[[French language|French]] is widely used in governmental institutions, media, mid-size and large companies, international commerce with French-speaking countries and often in international diplomacy.<ref name="Marley">{{Citation|title=From Monolingualism to Multilingualism: Recent Changes in Moroccan Language Policy|date=2005|url=http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/117ISB4.PDF|work=ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism|pages=1487–1500|editor-last=James Cohen|place=Somerville, MA|publisher=Cascadilla Press|access-date=30 April 2017|editor2-last=Kara T. McAlister|editor3-last=Kellie Rolstad|editor4-last=Jeff MacSwan}}</ref> French is taught as an obligatory language in all schools. According to the 2004 census, 2.19&nbsp;million Moroccans spoke a foreign language other than French.<ref name="Haut Commisariat au Plan">[http://www.hcp.ma/ Site institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929061323/http://www.hcp.ma/|date=29 September 2011}}. Hcp.ma. Retrieved 23 July 2011.</ref> [[English language|English]], while far behind French in terms of number of speakers, is the first foreign language of choice, since French is obligatory, among educated youth and professionals. In 2010, there were 10,366,000 French-speakers in Morocco, or about 32% of the population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Le dénombrement des francophones |url=http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012052949/http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=9 January 2013 |publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie}}</ref><ref name="FR" />

According to ''[[Ethnologue]]'', as of 2016, there are 1,536,590 individuals (or approximately 4.5% of the population) in Morocco who speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Spanish|work=Ethnologue (Free All) |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa|publisher=Ethnologue|access-date=28 January 2018|archive-date=23 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123235008/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa|url-status=live}}</ref> Spanish is mostly spoken in northern Morocco and the former [[Spanish Sahara]] because Spain had previously occupied those areas.<ref>Leyre Gil Perdomingo and Jaime Otero Roth (2008) [http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/dc29ac804f0199d3a40ee43170baead1/ARI116-2008_Gil_Otero_lengua_espanola_Sahara_Occidental.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=dc29ac804f0199d3a40ee43170baead1 "Enseñanza y uso de la lengua española en el Sáhara Occidental"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924090300/http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/dc29ac804f0199d3a40ee43170baead1/ARI116-2008_Gil_Otero_lengua_espanola_Sahara_Occidental.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=dc29ac804f0199d3a40ee43170baead1 |date=24 September 2015 }}, in ''Analysis of the Real Instituto Elcano'' nº 116</ref> Meanwhile, a 2018 study by the [[Instituto Cervantes]] found 1.7 million Moroccans who were at least proficient in Spanish, placing Morocco as the country with the most Spanish speakers outside the Hispanophone world (unless the United States is also excluded from Spanish-speaking countries).<ref>Saga, Ahlam Ben. [https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/11/259062/instituto-cervantes-1-7-million-moroccan-spanish Instituto Cervantes: 1.7 Million Moroccans Speak Spanish] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415113901/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/11/259062/instituto-cervantes-1-7-million-moroccan-spanish/ |date=15 April 2021 }}, ''[[Morocco World News]]'', 29 Nov 2018. Retrieved 11 Apr 2022.</ref> A significant portion of northern Morocco receives Spanish media, television signal and radio airwaves, which reportedly facilitate competence in the language in the region.<ref name="Rouchdy71">{{cite book|author=Rouchdy, Aleya |title=Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWZvxjoU948C&pg=PA71|year=2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-7007-1379-0|page=71}}</ref>

=== Education ===
{{main|Education in Morocco}}{{bar box|title=Literate population of Morocco (2024)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>|titlebar=#ddd|left1=|right1=percent|float=right|bars={{bar percent|Can read and write in [[Arabic]]|Green|99.2}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in [[French language|French]]|Blue|57.7}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in [[English language|English]]|Red|20.5}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in [[Berber languages]]|Yellow|1.5}}}}Education in Morocco is free and compulsory through primary school. The estimated [[literacy]] rate for the country in 2012 was 72%.<ref>[http://www.lavieeco.com/news/actualites/baisse-du-taux-d-analphabetisme-au-maroc-a-28--26483.html Baisse du taux d'analphabétisme au Maroc à 28%] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801015845/http://www.lavieeco.com/news/actualites/baisse-du-taux-d-analphabetisme-au-maroc-a-28--26483.html |date=1 August 2014}}. Lavieeco.com (6 September 2013). Retrieved 17 April 2015.</ref> In September 2006, UNESCO awarded Morocco, amongst other countries such as [[Cuba]], [[Pakistan]], [[India]] and [[Turkey]], the "UNESCO 2006 Literacy Prize".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D33384%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |title=2006 UNESCO Literacy Prize winners announced |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=27 September 2006 |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212221259/http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D33384%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Morocco has more than [[List of universities in Morocco|four dozen universities]], institutes of higher learning and polytechnics dispersed at urban centres throughout the country. Its leading institutions include [[Mohammed V University]] in Rabat, the country's largest university, with branches in Casablanca and Fès; the Hassan II Agriculture and Veterinary Institute in Rabat, which conducts leading social science research in addition to its agricultural specialties; and [[Al-Akhawayn University]] in Ifrane, the first English-language university in Northwest Africa,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=morocco_ifrane_summer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226185538/http://ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=morocco_ifrane_summer |archive-date=26 February 2009 |title=CCIS Ifrane Morocco Summer Study Abroad Program |publisher=Ccisabroad.org |date=1 April 2010 |access-date=2 June 2010}}</ref> inaugurated in 1995 with contributions from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

[[File:UIS Literacy Rate Morocco population +15 1980 to 2015.png|thumb|[[UNESCO Institute for Statistics]] literacy rate Morocco population above 15 years of age, 1980–2015]]

The [[University of Al-Karaouine|al-Qarawiyin University]], founded by [[Fatima al-Fihri]] in the city of Fez in 859 as a [[madrasa]],<ref>[[Josef W. Meri|Meri, Josef W.]] (ed.): ''[[Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia]]'', Vol. 1, A–K, Routledge, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-415-96691-7}}, p.&nbsp;257 (entry "Fez")</ref> is considered by some sources, including [[UNESCO]], to be the "oldest university of the world".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Qarawiyin|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485494/Qarawiyin|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=8 December 2011|archive-date=29 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129044103/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485494/Qarawiyin|url-status=live}}</ref> Morocco has also some of prestigious postgraduate schools, including: [[Mohammed VI Polytechnic University]], l'{{ill|Institut national des postes et télécommunications|fr||ar|المعهد الوطني للبريد والمواصلات}}, [[École nationale supérieure d'électricité et de mécanique de Nancy|École Nationale Supérieure d'Électricité et de Mecanique]] (ENSEM), [[École Mohammadia d'ingénieurs|EMI]], [[ISCAE]], [[National Instistute of Statistics and Applied Economics|INSEA]], [[National School of Mineral Industry]], [[École Hassania des Travaux Publics]], Les Écoles nationales de commerce et de gestion and École supérieure de technologie de Casablanca.<ref>''The Guinness Book Of Records'', 1998, p. 242, {{ISBN|0-553-57895-2}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-23 |title=Classement meilleurs école d'études supérieures au Maroc |url=http://etudes-superieures.ma/meilleur-etablissement-superieur-au-maroc/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Etudes superieures au Maroc |language=en-US |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117154441/http://etudes-superieures.ma/meilleur-etablissement-superieur-au-maroc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Health ===
{{main|Health in Morocco}}
[[File:University Hospital Center in Tangier (general view).jpg|thumb|294x294px|The [[Mohammed VI University Hospital Centre]] in [[Tangier]]]]
Many efforts are made by countries around the world to address health issues and eradicate disease, Morocco included. Morocco is a developing country that has made many strides to improve these categories. According to research published, in 2005, only 16% of citizens in Morocco had health insurance or coverage.<ref name="Ruger_2007">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ruger JP, Kress D | title = Health financing and insurance reform in Morocco | journal = Health Affairs | volume = 26 | issue = 4 | pages = 1009–16 | date = July 2007 | pmid = 17630444 | pmc = 2898512 | doi = 10.1377/hlthaff.26.4.1009}}</ref> In data from the World Bank, Morocco experiences high infant mortality rates at 20 deaths per 1,000 births (2017)<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?locations=MA|title=Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births)|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=10 December 2018|archive-date=17 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217111004/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref> and high maternal mortality rates at 121 deaths per 100,000 births (2015).<ref name=":6m">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=MA|title=Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=10 December 2018|archive-date=17 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217112527/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref>

The government of Morocco sets up surveillance systems within the already existing healthcare system to monitor and collect data. Mass education in hygiene is implemented in primary education schools which are free for residents of Morocco. In 2005, the government of Morocco approved two reforms to expand health insurance coverage.<ref name="Ruger_2007" /> The first reform was a mandatory health insurance plan for public and private sector employees to expand coverage from 16 percent of the population to 30 percent. The second reform created a fund to cover services for the poor. Both reforms improved access to high-quality care. Infant mortality has improved significantly since 1960 when there were 144 deaths per 1,000 live births, in 2000, 42 per 1,000 live births, and it is 15 per 1,000 live births in 2022.<ref name=":5" /> The country's under-five mortality rate dropped by 60% between 1990 and 2011.

According to data from the World Bank,<ref name=":5" /> the present mortality rate is still very high, over seven times higher than in neighbouring country Spain. In 2014, Morocco adopted a national plan to increase progress on maternal and child health.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/features/2014/morocco-maternal-health/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302060442/http://www.who.int/features/2014/morocco-maternal-health/en/|archive-date=2 March 2014|title=WHO {{!}} Morocco takes a stride forward for mothers and children|website=WHO|access-date=17 December 2018}}</ref> The Moroccan Plan was started by the Moroccan Minister of Health, El Houssaine Louardi and Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, on 13 November 2013 in Rabat.<ref name=":7" /> Morocco has made significant progress in reducing deaths among both children and mothers. Based on World Bank data, the nation's maternal mortality ratio fell by 67% between 1990 and 2010.<ref name=":6m" />

In 2014, spending on healthcare accounted for 5.9% of the country's GDP.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=MA|title=Current health expenditure (% of GDP) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|language=en-us|access-date=2 October 2018|archive-date=1 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201044658/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2014, spending on healthcare as part of the GDP has decreased. However, health expenditure per capita (PPP) has steadily increased since 2000. In 2015, the Moroccan health expenditure was $435.29 per capita.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD?locations=MA|title=Current health expenditure per capita, PPP (current international $) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|language=en-us|access-date=2 October 2018|archive-date=12 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612115113/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD?locations=MA|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, the life expectancy at birth was 74.3, or 73.3 for men and 75.4 for women, and there were 6.3 physicians and 8.9 nurses and midwives per 10,000 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emro.who.int/entity/statistics/statistics.html|title=World Health Organization|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-date=5 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205075620/http://www.emro.who.int/entity/statistics/statistics.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, according to the [[The World Factbook|World Factbook]], life expectancy for Morocco is 74.2 years.<ref>{{Citation |title=Morocco |date=2025-01-16 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>