Observatory: The Resilience of the Moroccan Production Fabric Despite Structural and Spatial Disparities
The sixth annual report from the Moroccan Observatory for Very Small, Small, and Medium Enterprises reflects the resilience of the national production fabric, despite ongoing structural, spatial, and sectoral disparities.
During a press conference in Casablanca, the Observatory’s Executive Director, Amal Idrissi, highlighted that the number of legal entities exceeded 380,000 in 2024, marking a slight growth of 1.3% compared to the previous year, driven mainly by the dynamic establishment of small enterprises.
She noted that the production fabric continued to expand within a structure and geography that remained almost stable, with more than half of the enterprises concentrated along the Tangier–El Jadida axis, contrasted by a relative weakness in distribution across other regions.
Conversely, Idrissi revealed a 6% increase in cases of business closures, particularly among companies less than five years old, underscoring the challenges enterprises face in the post-establishment phase.
Economically, she confirmed that growth in turnover, exports, and added value remained intact, but was largely driven by certain sectors, particularly manufacturing, which continued to play a crucial role in exports, especially in the automotive and chemical industries.
Regarding employment, she stated that very small, small, and medium enterprises remain the primary employers by volume, with continued limited participation of women, both in job opportunities and business management.
As for financing, she pointed to improved access to bank loans, with very small enterprises benefiting from 20% of the total loans and small and medium enterprises from 21%, while 60% was allocated to large companies.
The sixth edition of the report focuses on analyzing the national production fabric in a context characterized by improved growth in non-agricultural activities and emerging indicators of recovery in the job market, while tracking the evolution of economic and financial indicators and employment indicators specific to very small, small, and medium enterprises throughout 2024.
It also provides a progress report on the implementation of the strategic plan for 2024–2026, noting advancements in enhancing the reliability and valuation of enterprise data, thanks to the adoption of new analytical tools, alongside strengthening collaboration with national and international institutions on studies related to women’s access to financing, employment constraints, and productivity challenges.
