Migration in Morocco: History, Current Trends and Future ... - MGSoG

Figure 3 Population Pyramid Morocco
Male Female
Population (in millions)
Source. U.S. Census Bureau, International Database, 2009
Another demographically-relevant change that Morocco will undergo in the
coming years is urbanization. It is estimated that between 2005 and 2010, the
urbanization rate of Morocco sat at 1.8% (CIA Factbook, 2009). It is argued that since
rural Morocco is characterized by higher poverty rates, there is an increased level of
outmigration from these regions to urbanized areas. As a result in the near future most of
the Moroccan population will be living in urban rather than rural areas.
Finally, on a more socio-cultural level it is important to mention that all native
Moroccan citizens belong to either the Arab or the Berber ethnic group. Both of these
ethnic groups are predominantly Muslim. There are several languages spoken in the
country: the official language is Arabic; the language of business, government and
diplomacy is French; and some groups speak several Berber languages (CIA Factbook,
2009).
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