The African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that Morocco’s informal economy accounted for between 33% and 34% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) between 2015 and 2020, a level below the African average of 38.9%.
The institution also notes that a majority of Moroccans favour lower taxes, even if it means fewer public services. In a presentation on public revenue mobilisation systems in Africa, unveiled during the 2026 African Caucus Meetings in Banjul, the AfDB ranked Morocco among the African countries where the informal economy remains relatively contained, although still significant.
According to the institution, the Kingdom is among the twelve African countries with the smallest informal sectors, estimated at 33–34% of GDP. Morocco ranks behind Togo and ahead of countries including Egypt, Mauritania, Algeria, Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Mauritius. The AfDB, however, stressed that these figures are based on historical averages and may not fully reflect the country’s current economic situation.
The bank also examined public attitudes toward taxation. Based on 2022 Afrobarometer surveys cited in the report, 56% of Moroccans surveyed said they would prefer lower taxes, even if this resulted in reduced public services. By contrast, around 36% expressed support for higher taxation in exchange for stronger public services. The AfDB noted that these findings reflect citizens’ perceptions and cannot, on their own, be used to assess the actual tax burden or the quality of public services.
For the institution, the data underscore the importance of the “fiscal and social contract” between governments and taxpayers. It argues that simplifying tax procedures, improving administrative efficiency, enhancing public services, and strengthening transparency could help build public trust and sustainably increase government revenues. Across Africa, the AfDB identified several major obstacles to domestic resource mobilisation, including weak tax compliance, complex administrative systems, narrow tax bases, poorly targeted tax exemptions, limited digital and institutional capacities, illicit financial flows, and a lack of trust in public administrations.
According to the bank’s estimates, the five main categories of taxes generated an average of only 12.8% of Africa’s GDP between 2010 and 2023, a figure significantly lower than in other regions of the world. Europe and Central Asia recorded a rate of nearly 24%, compared with 19% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 18% in East Asia and the Pacific.
MK/AK/te/Sf/lb/abj/APA