Morocco’s blue economy is a significant national asset of the country, with a diversified structure. The sector contributed 3.8 percent of GDP and supports about 495,000 full-time equivalent jobs, or 4.6 percent of national employment, says the World Bank in a report on the Kingdom’s blue economy contribution to growth and jobs.
Aquaculture is Morocco’s largest untapped opportunity. Production is currently just 3,500 tons, compared to a national target of 300,000 tons. Reaching this target will require sustained public and private investment and could create up to 52,000 additional direct and indirect jobs by 2035-including 30,000 direct jobs, says the document.
The blue economy (BE) is far more significant locally than national averages. It accounts for 12 percent of local GDP and nearly 2 in 5 jobs in the city of Agadir, and 6.5 percent of GDP in Tangier. The two cities illustrate distinct cluster models built around their natural strengths: fisheries and aquaculture in Agadir, and port services and maritime trade in Tangier.
According to WB experts, climate change poses material and growing risks. Coastal erosion costs $ 434 million per year and sea level rise damage could reach $ 389–595 million per year by 2050. Morocco’s coastal ecosystems are both the primary asset at risk and its most cost-effective line of defense.
The Moroccan blue economy’s social potential remains underutilized. Women hold only 22 percent of blue economy jobs, youth unemployment remains high, and just 41 percent of jobs are formal. Closing these gaps requires targeted inclusion measures, stronger skills pathways, and greater formalization, underlines the WB report.
According to the WB, public investment alone cannot finance Morocco’s blue economy ambitions. To mobilize private capital at scale, Morocco is developing an integrated blue finance architecture, including a blue taxonomy, a sovereign sustainable finance framework, and a Blue Impact Investment Fund.