Morocco ranks 44th in the world, 2nd in North Africa by the 2020 Global Hunger Index

Designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and national levels, the Global Hunger Index ranks Morocco 44th out of the 107 countries for its 2020 edition. Morocco was ranked 42nd out of 117 countries in 2019.

Created in 2006 and conducted by Conducted by US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Germany-based Welthungerhilfe and Irish NGO Concern Worldwide, the index gives Morocco a score of 8.9. The score indicates a level of hunger that is low, on a scale that goes from low, moderate, serious and alarming to extremely alarming.

Morocco’s score in the Global Hunger Index dropped significantly from 2000 to 2020. According to data compiled by the index, the Kingdom’s score went from 15.5 in 2020 to 17.5 in 2016. However, by 2012, the GHI score dropped 9.6 and then to 8.9 in 2020, which is considered positive.

Morocco ranks behind Tunsia and ahead of Algeria

The same trend is observed among the sub-indicators of the index. The proportion of undernourished in the population in 2020 is 4.3%, which was at 4.% in 2012, 5.7% in 2006, and 6.4% in 2000.

The prevalence of wasting in children under five years is at 2.6% in 2020. In 2012, it was at 2.3%, 10.8% in 2006 and 4.1% in 2000. Prevalence of stunning in children under five years is at 15.1% in 2020. The value was at 14.9% in 2012, 23.1% in 2006 and 24.8 in 2000.

The under-five mortality rate is at 2.2% in 2020, after it was at 2.9% in 2012, 3.8% in 2006 and 4.9% in 2000.

In the Maghreb region, Morocco is ranked second by the Global Hunger Index. It is ranked behind Tunisia, ranked 23rd globally and second in North Africa. Morocco is followed by Algeria 46th and then Egypt 54th.

In the Arab world, Morocco is ranked fifth, alongside Lebanon, behind Saudi Arabia 35th, Iran 39th, and Jordan 43rd and ahead of Oman 55th and Iraq 65th.

In general, the Global Hunger Index shows that «global level of hunger and undernutrition is at a moderate level».

«It has fallen from a GHI score of 29.0 points in 2000 to 18.2 points in 2020. While this is encouraging, hunger persists in many countries, and in some instances, progress is even being reversed», the authors of the report concluded.