Morocco’s reputation still dominates internationally

China and Morocco saw the biggest increases (+12.6 points and +10.9 points, respectively), according to a new report drawn up by the US crisis laboratory Reputation Lab. , events of fame and influence, on behalf of the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES).

Entitled “Morocco’s reputation in the world 2022”, the report is the eighth edition of the annual analysis of the perception of Morocco among the general population of the most influential countries from an economic, political, social and cultural point of view.

The data analyzed in this 101-page document is drawn from a large-scale survey of fieldwork conducted in March and April 2022.

“Across all G7 countries + Russia, Morocco’s reputation indicator remains stable, slightly increasing by +0.3 points, standing at 48.6 points, which corresponds to a moderate reputation according to Reputation Lab’s standardized scale,” the study points out.

Furthermore, Morocco is ranked 32nd by reputation among the 60 countries with the highest GDP, with scores closest to the average of the largest economies (48.6 points against an average of 49.4 points).

Since the launch of the study on Morocco’s reputation, the latter has gradually improved, going from a “low” level (44.4 points) in 2015 to a “moderate” level (48.6 points) in 2022, according to the study.

In fact, following the same evidence, it is ahead for the first time in the historical series among the four main countries compared, after overtaking Chile in 2022.

Australia, Egypt, France and China are the countries where Morocco has the best reputation. The opinion of Morocco registers the lowest scores in South Korea, Sweden and especially Spain.

Another conclusion drawn from this study: Morocco’s level of knowledge is below the average of the 60 countries with the highest GDP (69% with an average of 75% on the familiarity indicator).

There is therefore a communication opportunity to increase the level of familiarity, which the study indicates will positively affect Morocco’s reputational capital.

Strengths and weaknesses of Morocco’s reputation

Although Morocco does not significantly exceed the average of the 60 countries with the highest GDP in any rational attribute, the study underlines that it is possible to confirm that its relative strength lies in the following attributes:

The study indicates that the attributes in which Morocco shows comparative advantages are prominent among those with the greatest impact on reputation, so that as its good opinion consolidates, its reputation will improve relative to that. This applies to the attributes of “providing leisure, culture and food”, “efficient government and institutions”, “security”, “efficient use of public resources” and “natural environment”.

A growing reputational profile

On the other hand, the report indicates that Morocco’s opinion has improved where the country shows and continues to show shortcomings in the attributes “technology”, “educated and reliable population”, “brands and well-known companies”.

According to the authors of this study, the analysis of historical series of data on Morocco’s reputation shows a trend of gradual improvement in variables related to institutional commitment and responsible behavior that make Morocco a reliable member of the international community.

On the other hand, they underline that during the same period, the traditional assets of the kingdom linked to tourism, such as the natural environment, the possibilities for leisure or the kindness of its citizens, did not experience the same evolution. This process has gradually restructured Morocco’s image profile.