75% of households in Morocco own their own dwellings, with rural areas having a larger proportion of home ownership at 92.8% compared to 67.3% in urban areas, according to Morocco’s Statistics and Forecasts Office (HCP) 2024 Social Indicators Report, published on Tuesday.
The rental sector accounts for only 15.7%, with most rentals concentrated in urban areas (22.0%).
In terms of occupancy density, about two-thirds of families live in houses with two to three rooms, almost three-quarters of those in cities.
The national average occupancy rate is 1.4 persons per room, reflecting 1.6 in rural regions and 1.3 in urban one. HCP suggested that rustic-style dwellings predominate in rural areas, followed by modern Moroccan houses. In cities, modern Moroccan-style houses are predominant, followed by apartments.
The share of the urban population living in substandard housing fell to 3.1% in 2022 from 5.2% in 2014, HCP noted in the report.
While the report reflects mostly positive trends, HCP warned that “rapid urbanization has culminated in an expansion of slums, imposing a strain on resources and basic infrastructure while also affecting the surrounding environment.”
The office indicated that 99.2% of the population had access to energy as of 2022. The penetration rate for electric power in rural areas has increased to 98%, a massive 41.2-point improvement since 2005.
Households’ access to enhanced potable water sources reached 93.8% in 2022 with a significant 82.0% in rural areas, up 22.9 points from 2005.
The data also revealed that the rate of access to liquid sanitation services, including septic tanks or basic tanks, reached 97.7% in 2022.
The social indicators examination found that 94.9% of city dwellings have access to municipal domestic waste pickup services, compared to 8.7% in rural areas. In 2019, 95% of urban solid garbage was collected and correctly disposed of, up significantly from 44% in 2008.