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Does the middle class in Morocco really exist? The question is raised for two reasons: firstly, as a social category, “the middle class” would seem to be both small and fragile; secondly, it is difficult to speak of “a” middle class given the diversity of social groups and socioeconomic situations included under the heading “middle class.” Thus, it is appropriate to speak of a plurality of groups within this segment of the population, even if the ambition is to have the emergence of a recognizable middle class.

On the heels of a symposium on October 29, 2008 co-organized by the Entrepreneurial Club the Amadeus Institute, the Institute has launched a series of reflections on the middle class in Morocco. Following the July 2008 royal speech on the necessity of encouraging the emergence of a middle class through appropriate public policies, the Institute has chosen to focus on the Moroccan middle class. This includes its tangible existence, its definition, and, finally, public policies which could promote its development.

The emergence of such a middle class would provide three distinct benefits for Morocco. Politically, it would create a class of citizens that calls for political renewal and desires increased participation in political debates and the electoral process. Economically, this class could extend the reach of a Moroccan market which remains limited (although statistics on income and purchasing power remain incomplete). Socially, such a middle class could propose a working system of social promotion.

Morocco can only realize its potential through poverty alleviation and the social ascension of the popular and middle classes. This series of publications on the middle class, including four white papers on four essential themes(the educational system, the health system, access to housing and the reinforcement of purchasing power), is aimed at producing summaries and proposals, along with opening debate on each of the above themes.