Key data for Morocco

NCI35th HRCI20th HANCI30th
HANCI-Africa compares 45 African countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 15.1% Wasting: 2.6% Proportion of population underweight: 2.6% Source: Government of Morocco (PAPFAM,2017)

Strong Performance

  • The Government of Morocco has ensured tenure security for rural populations. Land titling is common and land markets function well. Policy promotes equitable access to common property resources.
  • Morocco has devised a National Nutrition Policy/Strategy.
  • The Government of Morocco promotes complementary feeding practices and has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for 99% of children in 2017.
  • 91% of the population of Morocco in 2017 has access to an improved drinking water source.
  • Strong civil registration rates (96.1% in 2018) potentially enable children’s access to critical public services such as health and education.

Areas for improvement

  • Spending on agriculture (6.5% of public spending in 2018), does not meet government commitments set out in the African Union’s Maputo Declaration (10% of public spending).
  • Morocco’s spending in its health sector (7.5% of public spending in 2017) does not fully meet (15%) commitments set out in the Abuja Declaration.
  • In Morocco, the law does not give women economic rights equal to men. Men and women have equal legal access to agricultural land, but this is not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • Relative to other HANCI countries, Morocco’s medium/long term national development policy (Le Programme Gouvernemental) places weak importance to nutrition.
  • Even though Morocco has developed a National Nutrition Policy/Strategy and clear time-bound nutrition targets, a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism is still lacking.
  • Policymakers in Morocco do not benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2011.
  • The Government of Morocco has not enshrined the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes into domestic law.
  • In Morocco, constitutional protection of the right to food and the right to social security is weak.
  • Social safety nets in Morocco are basic and only cover few risks for a limited number of beneficiaries.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
6.5%201815th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
7.5%201722nd
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Strong20192nd
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Moderate201924th
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
96.1%20184th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 8th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Weak2016Joint 29th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 3rd
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
Not in Law2019Joint 16th
Constitutional right to social security
?
No2018Joint 26th

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 16th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
99%2017Joint 2nd
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2016Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
91%201710th
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
88.5%20173rd
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
88.5%201829th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Weak2016-2021Joint 40th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
No2019Joint 36th
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
No2011Joint 37th
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Not Enshrined in Law2019Joint 33rd