Morocco

**No major developments in the last ~60 days (late April–June 2026) significantly alter Morocco’s youth instability baseline (male youth unemployment 15-24 at 21.7% for 2025; national instability fuse score 36.8/100).** Youth unemployment remains structurally high, with new official data confirming elevated rates among young people (especially under new ILO-aligned measurement). A small planned protest occurred in April 2026 but was unrelated to domestic youth/economic grievances. No evidence of coups, militia recruitment, currency shocks, or internet shutdowns.[[1]](https://ma.usembassy.gov/demonstration-alert-protest-planned-in-rabat-morocco-april-19-2026/)[[2]](https://www.ecofinagency.com/news/0805-55398-morocco-s-unemployment-rate-falls-to-10-8-in-first-quarter-2026)

### 1. New Government/ILO/World Bank Data on Youth or Male Unemployment
The High Commission for Planning (HCP) released initial results from its new Labor Force Survey (EMO2026, aligned with updated ILO standards) in early May 2026. Key Q1 2026 figures (strict unemployment definition: no job, available, and actively seeking work):

- National unemployment: 10.8% (down from 13% for full-year 2025).
- Youth (15-24): 29.2% (highest exposure group); composite labor underutilization (unemployment + underemployment + potential labor force) at 45.3% for this cohort.
- Broader context: Urban 13.5% vs. rural 6.1%; women 16.1% vs. men 9.4%; ages 25-34 at 16.1%.
- Labor force participation: Men 66.4%, women 17.5%. Composite underutilization: 22.5% nationally (higher for youth and women).[[2]](https://www.ecofinagency.com/news/0805-55398-morocco-s-unemployment-rate-falls-to-10-8-in-first-quarter-2026)[[3]](https://en.industries.ma/morocco-unemployment-at-10-8-in-q1-2026-says-hcp/)[[4]](https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/06/316474/hcp-launches-new-labor-survey-reports-10-8-unemployment-rate-in-q1-2026/)

**Source examples**: HCP via Ecofin Agency (May 8, 2026 report) and related coverage (e.g., industries.ma, Yabiladi, Morocco World News). Full note available via HCP site (hcp.ma). 

World Bank/ILO-modeled estimates (via FRED) show total youth (15-24) unemployment at 21.882% for 2025 (slight decline from prior years). Earlier quarterly national estimates (e.g., Trading Economics/HCP) had placed youth rates around 37% in late 2025.[[5]](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSMAR)[[6]](https://tradingeconomics.com/morocco/youth-unemployment-rate)

The new survey methodology likely contributes to differences versus the baseline’s modeled 21.7% male figure; youth rates remain persistently elevated and a key vulnerability. An April 2026 Morocco World News report noted ~33.6% NEET rate (not in employment, education, or training) for ages 15-29 based on 2023 data (2.9 million people).[[7]](https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/04/288511/one-in-three-young-moroccans-are-neet-as-2-9-million-face-job-education-gaps/)

No specific new male-only 15-24 breakdown or dedicated ILO/World Bank 2026 releases identified beyond ongoing modeled series.

### 2. Significant Political/Security/Economic Events Affecting Young Men (18-35)
- **April 19, 2026 protest in Rabat**: U.S. Embassy alert for a planned demonstration in Bab el Had Square (march to Parliament), tied to Palestinian Prisoners’ Day and opposition to normalization with Israel. Additional protests possible in major cities. Not linked to domestic youth unemployment or economic issues.[[1]](https://ma.usembassy.gov/demonstration-alert-protest-planned-in-rabat-morocco-april-19-2026/)
- No reports of large-scale youth protests, riots, coup attempts, militia recruitment, or acute economic shocks (e.g., currency crisis) in the period. Earlier 2025 Gen Z (GenZ 212) protests (Sept–Oct 2025) over health/education failures, unemployment (~35%+ youth rates cited), corruption, and inequality had led to arrests, some violence, and government reform pledges (e.g., increased 2026 health/education budgets), but activity subsided by late October 2025.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Moroccan_Gen_Z_protests)[[9]](https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/north-africa/morocco)

Overall picture stable relative to baseline; no acute escalation flagged.

### 3. Notable NGO/Academic Reports on Morocco’s Youth Situation (2025 Publications)
- Afrobarometer Dispatch (June 20/23, 2025): Youth (15-24) unemployment rose from 35.9% to 37.7% in Q1 2025; ~21% of 18-35 not employed and actively seeking work (triple the rate for 36-45); only 25% employed full-time; high interest in emigration amid scarce jobs.[[10]](https://www.afrobarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AD1004-Youth-like-Moroccos-direction-even-as-jobs-remain-scarce-and-interest-in-emigration-grows-Afrobarometer-20june25.pdf)
- No major new NGO/academic reports specifically published in the last 60 days identified. Earlier 2025 coverage (e.g., Carnegie, Arab Center DC) analyzed the Gen Z protests as reflecting youth bulge, ~35%+ unemployment, NEET rates, and service delivery failures.[[11]](https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/moroccos-gen-z-protests-a-new-form-of-opposition/)

### 4. Internet/Mobile Infrastructure Changes
- **No shutdowns or coverage reductions** reported.
- April 2026 Opensignal Mobile Network Experience Report: Detailed operator performance (e.g., Orange leading in 5G availability at 51.2%, ahead of inwi 44.6% and Maroc Telecom 38.7%; strong scores in download/upload speed and coverage for leaders).[[12]](https://insights.opensignal.com/reports/2026/04/morocco/mobile-network-experience)
- Ongoing 5G rollout (catalyzed by events like AFCON 2025): Plans target ~25% population coverage by end-2025/early 2026 and 70% by 2030 (with fiber expansion); initial pilots complete, with tenders and phased deployment.[[13]](https://www.facebook.com/cgtnafrica/posts/morocco-to-spend-8-billion-usd-on-5g-aiming-for-85-pct-coverage-by-2030morocco-i/1218864276946621/)[[14]](https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/morocco-telecommunications)

**No flags for significant instability shift**: New HCP data reinforces high youth unemployment (29.2% for 15-24) and underutilization (45.3%), consistent with baseline pressures on young men, though measured differently. Minor protest activity and steady infrastructure improvements do not indicate acute change. Monitor HCP quarterly releases and any follow-on to 2025 protest-related reforms.

**Here is a bullet list of Morocco-specific (or MENA/region-relevant) non-inference data sources**, focusing on the requested categories. Details are based on official sites, open data portals, and available documentation as of mid-2026. All emphasize public access for unemployment, labor, youth employment, or related economic/social indicators.

- **Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP) – Base de Données Statistiques (BDS)**: https://www.hcp.ma/ and http://bds.hcp.ma (or via https://data.gov.ma/); **API: yes/partial** (connected APIs feed automatic updates to national open data portal for employment, national accounts, and labor indicators; main BDS appears download-oriented); **update frequency**: quarterly or more frequent for labor market/employment data (e.g., EMO surveys); **auth required**: none (open access).[[1]](https://www.data.gov.ma/fr/actualites/publication-automatiques-des-donnees-des-apis-du-hcp)

- **Morocco Open Data Portal (data.gov.ma) – HCP feeds**: https://data.gov.ma/; **API: yes** (explicit APIs for HCP employment, indices, and national accounts data); **update frequency**: regular/automated (tied to HCP releases); **auth required**: none (open).[[1]](https://www.data.gov.ma/fr/actualites/publication-automatiques-des-donnees-des-apis-du-hcp)

- **Bank Al-Maghrib (BKAM / Central Bank of Morocco)**: https://www.bkam.ma/ (statistics/monetary/banking sections) and developer API portal https://apihelpdesk.centralbankofmorocco.ma/; **API: yes** (dedicated developer portal with resources; also third-party wrappers and exchange rates APIs); **update frequency**: monthly/quarterly for monetary, banking, and economic indicators; **auth required**: none/free for public data (API keys may be needed for developer access).[[2]](https://apihelpdesk.centralbankofmorocco.ma/signin)

- **African Development Bank (AfDB) Data Portal**: https://dataportal.afdb.org/; **API: partial** (download-focused with country breakdowns for Morocco labor/economic indicators; some programmatic access); **update frequency**: annual/periodic (country reports and databases); **auth required**: none (open downloads).

- **ESCWA (UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) Data Portal**: https://www.unescwa.org/ (data/publications section); **API: no/partial** (primarily downloads and reports with MENA country breakdowns including Morocco); **update frequency**: annual or as available; **auth required**: none.

- **Morocco World News RSS feeds** (reliable English coverage of Morocco): https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/ (various category/tag feeds, e.g., /feed or /tag/france/feed equivalents); **API: no** (RSS feeds available); **update frequency**: daily/high; **auth required**: none.

- **France 24 RSS feeds** (Africa/Middle East sections covering Morocco): https://www.france24.com/en/rss-feeds (Africa and Middle East feeds); **API: no** (standard RSS); **update frequency**: daily/high; **auth required**: none.[[3]](https://www.france24.com/en/rss-feeds)

- **Global Voices RSS feeds** (Morocco-specific): https://globalvoices.org/feeds/ (country/region filters for Morocco/MENA); **API: no** (RSS); **update frequency**: as published (often daily/weekly); **auth required**: none.[[4]](https://globalvoices.org/feeds/)

These sources complement your existing pulls (World Bank, ACLED, etc.) with direct national or regional granularity. HCP and BKAM are the strongest for official labor/youth employment metrics; RSS feeds provide timely context. Most are free/no-auth for core data. Verify current endpoints on sites, as APIs can evolve.