In a recent report issued by the Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index (EIU), Morocco rose from 4.99 to 5.10 points in 2019. This is a big jump from its position at 3.9 in previous years. The data also indicates that the Northern Kingdom ranks 3rd place for the MENA region and comes in at 96th place worldwide.
The announcement was a proud moment for Moroccans and the parliament, with headquarters in Rabat. It’s growth also made the country stand out against the contrasting global democracy score which fell from 5.48 (2018) to 5.44 (2019).
The EIU is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism; the functioning of government; political participation; political culture; and civil liberties. Morocco improved in its political participation (5.00 to 5.56) and also stayed stable at 5.63 in its political culture category. The data, however, suggests that Morocco is stagnating at a low score in its civil liberties (4.41).
Morocco’s overall scores place it in the category of a hybrid regime, defined as a nation where the government puts pressure on opposition parties, candidates may be common, and corruption is still an issue.
The EIU was created in 1946 and operates as a branch of the Economist newspaper, under the division of research and analysis. For over 60 years the EIU has assisted businesses, financial firms, and governments in understanding how to optimize, mitigate opportunities, and take strategic risks.