Disability in Morocco reaches nearly 9 percent in 2026

The prevalence of disability in Morocco reached 8.7% in 2026, including 2.3% with severe disabilities, Secretary of State for Social Inclusion Abdeljebbar Rachidi said Thursday in Rabat. Women account for 53.6% of people with disabilities, compared with 46.4% for men.

Speaking at a press conference presenting the preliminary findings of Morocco’s third national disability survey, Rachidi said the rate had risen by 1.9 percentage points from 6.8% in 2014.

The increase is largely attributed to changes in the methodology used in the latest survey, including new disability classification tools. These include UNICEF standards for children aged 2 to 17 and the expanded Washington Group Short Set for adults aged 18 and over. Morocco’s ageing population was also cited as a contributing factor.

Nearly 29% of Moroccan households have at least one member with a disability. Meanwhile, 65.6% of people with disabilities reported that their families continue to bear the cost of medicines and pharmaceutical products.

The survey also found that 60.5% of people with disabilities live in urban areas, compared with 39.5% in rural areas, underscoring the need for policies tailored to the specific needs of different regions.

People with disabilities and their families identified effective access to basic rights and services, particularly health care, education and employment, among their main priorities.

The third national survey covered 20,412 households, up from around 16,000 in 2014. A total of 47 teams and 236 surveyors were mobilized for the study, conducted in partnership with the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the National Observatory for Human Development (ONDH) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).