Morocco recorded 78,244 new businesses in the first ten months of 2024, according to data from the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC).
Of these, 56,292 were legal entities, while 21,952 were individual businesses. The commercial sector led business creation, accounting for 34.73% of the total, followed by construction and real estate activities at 19.36%. Service industries ranked third with 18.47%, while sectors like transportation, manufacturing, and hospitality accounted for 8.07%, 7.3%, and 5.63%, respectively. Information technology, financial services, and agriculture sectors had smaller shares, at 2.79%, 1.99%, and 1.67%, respectively.
Geographically, the Casablanca-Settat region topped the list with 24,571 new businesses, followed by Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima with 11,328, and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra with 9,121. Marrakech-Safi recorded 8,875 new businesses, while regions like Fès-Meknès and Souss-Massa had 5,409 and 5,323, respectively.
The most popular legal structure was the limited liability company (SARL), representing 64.9% of new businesses, followed by single-member limited liability companies (SARLAU) at 34.5%. Public limited companies (SA) and branches accounted for just 0.3% and 0.1% of new businesses.
These figures come amid significant challenges faced by Moroccan businesses. Recent data from the Moroccan Observatory of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MPME) show that only 15% of companies are led by women, a percentage that has remained stable since 2020. Women-led businesses face particular difficulties accessing bank loans, with only 14.6% securing financing.
The sustainability of new businesses is also a concern, with only 53% surviving beyond their first five years, according to a joint report by the World Bank and the Moroccan Observatory of MPME.
The situation is expected to worsen, with Allianz Trade predicting a 13% increase in business bankruptcies in 2024, followed by an additional 8% rise in 2025. The report anticipates insolvencies will reach 16,100 in 2024, a 101% increase compared to the average of 2016-2019.
Most formal businesses in Morocco remain small, with the majority having been in existence for less than a decade and employing fewer than 10 people on average. Even businesses over 10 years old remain relatively small, with an average of only 26 employees.
MK/sf/ac/lb/as/APA