Morocco’s Creative Economy Outpaces Healthcare and Financial Services in Job Creation, IFC Report Reveals

Strategic analysis of the sector maps financing gaps and growth opportunities

ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup co-hosted in Morocco

Marrakech, Morocco, April 8, 2026 – In partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco, and with the support from the Moroccan Federation for Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC), IFC today launched a strategic analysis of Morocco’s creative and cultural industries (CCIs), highlighting their economic significance, their growth dynamics, and the elements needed to drive their development.

The report, Assessment of the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) in Morocco: Market Challenges, Opportunities, and Recommendations, found that Morocco’s CCIs are showing stronger-than-anticipated growth momentum. CCIs contributed 2.4 percent of GDP in 2022, on par with capital-intensive sectors such as extractive industries and transport and logistics. And, in 2023, the sector employed over 116,000 jobs, outpacing employment in healthcare and financial services, and generated approximately 43 billion MAD in revenues – an 18 percent increase from the previous year.

The sector also stands out for its contribution to economic inclusion: women hold 34% of jobs in the sector and the CCIs serve as a major pathway to employment for young people.

Despite this potential, financing remains a structural obstacle. In 2021, cultural and creative industries (CCIs) received less than 0.5 percent of all business credit in Morocco, with only 3 percent of creative businesses accessing any form of external financing. The report attributes this gap to a combination of demand-side constraints and to financial institutions’ perception of high risk, combined with the absence of tailored financial products.

The report identifies subsectors with strong growth trajectories: fashion and design (revenues up 46 percent in 2023), events and performing arts (more than doubling in revenues), heritage and cultural tourism (up 31 percent), and creative arts and crafts (up 18 percent). It also highlights Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup as a catalytic opportunity to accelerate CCI development, drive international exposure, and attract co-production financing for film and audiovisual content.

Key recommendations include developing a national cultural and creative industry strategy, establishing dedicated incubator networks and creative hubs, introducing IP-based financing mechanisms, strengthening legal and governance frameworks for cultural enterprises, and building the financial capacity of creative SMEs through targeted training and mentorship.

“Morocco’s creative and cultural industries are emerging as some of the country’s most dynamic engines of growth,” said David Tinel, IFC’s Regional Manager for the Maghreb. “Developed in close partnership with Moroccan institutions and grounded in robust market data, this assessment equips the private sector and financial institutions with a clear, credible basis to invest with confidence—and highlights where the strongest opportunities are taking shape.”

"Behind every talent are jobs. This sector is full of promise and is already establishing itself as a growing economic reality. Now is the time to be bold and make it a priority. This study provides a solid foundation to firmly anchor the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in the public policy agenda. It represents a real shift in perspective, now driven by a new generation of stakeholders,” said Neïla Tazi, founder and Honorary President of the Moroccan Federation for Cultural and Creative Industries.

“This study illustrates the importance of leveraging administrative and firm-level data to better understand emerging sectors such as cultural and creative industries. By mobilizing its data infrastructure, the OMTPME contributes to providing a robust and objective assessment of the sector’s economic weight, employment dynamics, and financing challenges, thereby supporting more targeted public policies,” said Dr Amal Idrissi, Executive Director, Observatoire Marocain de la Très Petite, Petite et Moyenne Entreprise.

“The Haut-Commissariat au Plan is proud to have contributed to this assessment through a robust methodological framework, the mobilization of official statistical data, and dedicated technical support to better define and analyze the scope and dynamics of Morocco’s cultural and creative industries. This work underscores the essential role of a strong national statistical system in informing public policy and supporting the emergence of new drivers of growth.”

“Creative and cultural industries represent a high value-added sector, both economically and in terms of enhancing our country’s global footprint. We were pleased to collaborate with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to bring readers closer to the full scope of an industry that often remains under-recognized. The findings of this joint work will enable us to address the identified gaps more effectively, particularly within Tamwilcom’s core mandate—facilitating access to finance”, said Said Jabrani, Managing Director, Tamwilcom.

IFC has worked with public and private sector partners in Morocco for more than 60 years, supporting small businesses, manufacturers, agribusinesses, infrastructure, the financial sector, and more. In the past two years alone, IFC has invested and mobilized more than US$2 billion to support sustainable economic development in Morocco.

Note to the editor

The report was developed with the close collaboration and data support of key Moroccan institutions: the Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP), the Observatoire Marocain de la Très Petite, Petite et Moyenne Entreprise (OMTPME), which played a central role in structuring and analyzing firm-level data, and Tamwilcom.

The Moroccan Federation for Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC) of the CGEM played a central role in launching the study, facilitating dialogue with market stakeholders, and ensuring the report’s strategic relevance.

The assessment was conducted in collaboration with BearingPoint and was made possible through support from the Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS).