Morocco ranks 4th in Global Knowledge Index 2022 among 25 Medium Human Development countries
10 May 2023 – The Kingdom of Morocco secured the fourth position globally among the 25 countries with medium human development and 85th out of 132 countries in the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2022, which has been published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF).
Morocco achieved impressive outcomes in GKI 2022, particularly in pre-university education and enabling environment. It ranked fourth in the percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in government expenditure on secondary education and in the percentage of the GDP per capital in government funding per secondary student. Furthermore, in terms of the Pupil-trained teacher ratio in pre-primary education, Morocco stood in the 34th position. The country secured the 25th position in the net enrolment rate in primary education.
Morocco secured first place in the share of students enrolled in post-secondary vocational programs in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector, which combines the preparation and qualification of human resources at a professional level and is regarded as the most sensitive sector directly associated with the labor market. Moreover, the kingdom ranked 5th globally in the percentage of researchers in higher education, which is a key factor in fostering knowledge and innovation by educating, preparing, and equipping human capital with the skills required to meet the demands of industries that spearhead the global knowledge economy.
The GKI emphasized the country’s exceptional efforts and performance to create a knowledge society through research and development, as well as implementing an innovative organizational framework that contributes to increasing the knowledge stock. The country demonstrated impressive performance in research, development (R&D), and innovation, which are closely related to the production, sharing, and application of knowledge in the development journey. It also ranked 8th in industrial design applications (per 100 billion GDP) and 19th in inputs of R&D Institutions.
Morocco also ranked 1st globally for the internet and telephony competition, which demonstrated exemplary performance in fulfilling the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution as the digital economy grows steadily until it has become part of the global economy. In addition, it secured the 17th position in the percentage of tertiary graduates from ICT programs.
Furthermore, the country ranked 3rd in the percentage of the population in the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines. This sector measures the conditions that must be in place for knowledge to be produced, developed, and employed to achieve sustainable development. Morocco further stood at the 37th position in terms of ecological footprint per capita in the health and environment sub-index. Regarding the economy sector, the kingdom ranked 28th globally in the percentage of GDP in gross fixed capital formation and 13th for the extent of corporate transparency.
The GKI evaluates the knowledge performance of countries worldwide based on various developmental indicators, revealing a scientific and objective presentation of the knowledge and development landscape of each nation. This helps decision-makers create and put in place various innovative development policies to achieve further development. It is a practical and scientific tool that identifies various challenges and innovative ways for the sustainable development of societies. The modified format used for the current edition of the index was chosen following a thorough review in 2017 with input from a large group of international consultants and experts from many fields of knowledge that are closely related to the GKI’s various sectors. Based on the most recent data in the international databases, the current edition includes 155 variables and 132 countries, including 11 Arab countries.
