Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco is located in the north westernmost tip of Africa, South of Spain, across a narrow strip of the Mediterranean. At approximately 172,400 square miles, Morocco is just bigger than California, boasts two coastlines and a very diverse physical geography and climate. The current population of approximately 30 million is an Arab-Berber ethnic melt with an ever dwindling number of Moroccan Sephardi Jews. Most Moroccans speak varieties of Arabic and/or Berber. French is used in the media alongside Modern Standard Arabic as a semi-official auxiliary language. Morocco is a constitutional hereditary monarchy with a partially elected government. The monarch bears the title “Commander of the Faithful” and claims Muhammadan descent.

Morocco has two Catholic dioceses. The primary one, the Diocese of Rabat, administers more than 30 parishes across the country, and provides an official count of 25,000 baptized Catholics in Morocco.

Sunni Islam is Morocco's state religion. Unless Jewish-born, all Moroccan citizens are judicially treated as Sunni Muslim even if they adopt other faiths.

In the News

Morocco’s hidden Christians see pope trip as chance to push for freedom - Reuters - March 22, 2019

Demographics

National Demographics

Total Population:

36,191,805 1

Urban:

62.50% 1

Rural:

37.50% 1

Immigrants as % of Population:

0.3% 2

Level of Public Corruption:

90 (1=lowest, 176=highest corruption) 4

Gender Equality in the Economy, Health, Education and Politics:

137 (1=most equal, 144=least equal) 7

Fertility Rate:

2.49 births per adult woman 5

Children Who Do Not Live to Age 5:

2.80% 5

Life Expectancy at Birth:

74 years 5

Adult Literacy Rate:

67.08% 5

Internet Users:

57% 5

Gross National Income per Capita:

US$3,070 5

Population Living Below US$1.90 per Day:

3.1% 5

Catholic Demographics

These statistics are derived from the Vatican's official publication, Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020 (Vatican City: Librera Editrice Vaticana, 2022). The numbers may differ from data reported by other sources on this site.

Baptized Catholics:

24,000

Baptized Catholics as % of Total Population:

0.07%

Baptisms per Year (Under age 7):

Baptisms per Year (Over age 7):

First Communions per Year:

Confirmations per Year:

Students Enrolled in Catholic Primary Schools:

7,575

Students Enrolled in Catholic Secondary Schools:

1,789

Students Enrolled in Catholic Higher Education:

Church Marriages per Year:

Church Marriages in Which Both Spouses are Catholics:

Priests:

Women Religious (Nuns & Sisters):

155

Catholics per Priest:

453

Parishes:

Catholic Hospitals:

Homes for Aged, Handicapped, Invalids:

1. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, Online Edition.
2.United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2015 revision.
3.United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Homicide Statistics 2015.
4.Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2016.
5.UNICEF, State of the World's Children, 2016.
6. Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020 (Vatican City: Librera Editrice Vaticana, 2022).
7.World Economic Forum, The Global Gender Gap Report, 2016.

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Morocco

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