Business failures were significant in 2024. According to Inforisk estimates, more than 16,000 companies shut down last year, marking a 13% increase compared to 2023. Despite this, Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, remains optimistic.
While acknowledging the credibility of Inforisk’s data, he prefers to rely on official indicators from the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) and the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC). Moreover, cross-referencing data from both public entities puts Inforisk’s estimates into perspective. One certainty remains: the real challenge of business creation lies in its impact on employment opportunities.
According to Minister Mezzour, despite a difficult economic context in 2024, the CNSS recorded an increase in registered employees from 3.5 million to 4 million over the past three years, representing 500,000 new registrations. Additionally, 340,000 salaried jobs were created, while 330,000 unpaid jobs were lost, indicating a transition from informal work to formal employment. Despite this, Mezzour acknowledges that these figures are insufficient. «It is not enough. We must not fall into self-satisfaction.»
SARL: The Preferred Business Structure
According to OMPIC’s Business Creation Barometer, the total number of newly registered businesses—both legal entities and sole proprietorships—at the Commercial Register in 2024 reached 95,235, marking a 1.5% increase compared to 2023. OMPIC, under the authority of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, reports that: Over 67,000 legal entities were newly registered in 2024, reflecting a 5% increase from 2023. The most dominant business structures remain the single-member limited liability company (SARL-AU) and the limited liability company (SARL), accounting for 64.7% and 34.5%, respectively, of all newly created legal entities.
Commerce, Construction, and Real Estate
From a regional perspective, Casablanca-Settat continues to lead in business creation, maintaining its position as Morocco’s economic hub. This industrial and commercial region—covering Casablanca, Mohammedia, Settat, and El Jadida—alone accounted for 39% of all new business registrations in 2024. Following closely behind are: Marrakech-Safi and Rabat-Salé, tied at 12.4% each, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima, ranking third with 11.8%, Fès-Meknès (6.3%) and Agadir-Souss-Massa (5.9%) trailing further behind. Regarding sectoral distribution, OMPIC’s data reveals a strong dominance of service-related businesses.
Amin RBOUB
