Morocco Country Overview
Where is Morocco located? The Kingdom of Morocco is located in northwest Africa. It is one of the Maghreb countries and borders the Mediterranean Sea. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Morocco from Europe.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Morocco is 35,561,654, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 35,561,654 |
| Population growth rate | 0.96% |
| Birth rate | 17.70 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall | 76.31 years |
| Men | 73.25 years |
| Women | 79.53 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 25.47% |
| 15-64 years | 67.57% |
| 65 years and above | 6.95% |
| Median age | 28.50 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.97 |
| Population density | 79.64 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 57.50% |
| Ethnicities | |
| approx. 60% Moroccans of Arab origin, 30-40% Berbers; approx. 60,000 foreigners (mainly French, Spaniards, Italians, Tunisians and Algerians) | |
| Religions | |
| Muslims 98.7%, Christians 1.1%, Jews 0.2% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.676 |
| HDI ranking | 121st out of 194 |
People in Morocco
36 million people live in Morocco: the Moroccans. Most of the population lives in the north and northwest, where the climate is most pleasant. The dry or cool mountains are far more inhospitable, as are the desert areas of the east. 62 percent of the population live in cities, 38 percent in rural areas.
Berbers and Arabs
80 percent of Moroccans are Berbers, 20 percent are Arabs. Arabs live more in the north of the country, Berbers more in the middle of the country and in the south. Their ancestral areas are the plateaus and the Middle Atlas.
The Berber people live mainly in Morocco and Algeria, but also in Tunisia, Mauritania and other countries. North Africa is their area of origin. Their people are divided into several tribes. In Morocco, for example, the Rifkabylen live near the city of Tangier and on the Rif Mountains, and the Schlöh in the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas. From the 7th century onwards, Arabs advanced west and Islamized the Berbers. That is, they forced their religion, Islam, on them. Some Berbers also adopted the Arabic language.
Languages in Morocco
There are two official languages in Morocco: Arabic and Tamazight. 90 percent of the population speak Arabic, the dialect of Moroccan Arabic. So Berbers mostly speak Arabic as well.
However, some Berbers have retained their Berber language or are bilingual. There are mainly three Berber languages spoken in Morocco: Tirifit in the north, Tamazight in the middle and Taschelhit in the south. Tamazight has been recognized as the official language.
Many residents also speak French. Through the colonial era it has been preserved as a language in trade and education.
Arabic is written in Arabic script. You read them from right to left. Berber languages can be written in Arabic script, in Latin letters or in Tifinagh, which is the script of the Tuareg (a Berber tribe in the Sahara).
Religions in Morocco
Almost all residents belong to Islam (99 percent). Only 1 percent are Christians. Many Berbers, although they are Muslim, have retained their belief in natural forces and ancient myths.