Casablanca-Settat

Casablanca-Settat is Morocco's economic nucleus—generating 32% of national GDP and absorbing 48% of the country's investment. With 7.69 million people (2024 census), this coastal region grew at 5.0% in 2023 while Morocco managed 3.7% nationally. Together with Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima, it creates 58% of Morocco's total wealth.

Casablanca Finance City positions Morocco as Africa's financial gateway. Industrial zones in Berrechid, Mohammedia, and Nouaceur host automotive, aeronautics, and renewable energy manufacturers. In May 2024, Oracle announced $140 million over five years for two cloud data centers in Casablanca and Settat—signaling the region's pivot toward digital infrastructure. The ports at Casablanca, Jorf Lasfar, and Mohammedia rank second through fourth nationally by tonnage.

Phosphates drive southern industrial development. OCP Group has transformed Ben Guerir's mining operations, increasingly converting raw phosphate rock into fertilizers for export through Jorf Lasfar and Safi. The 2024 trade figures show Morocco's export growth led by aerospace (+14.9%), phosphates (+13.1%), automotive (+6.3%), and agri-food (+3.1%). The IMF projects Morocco's growth accelerating to 3.9% in 2025, with infrastructure projects and structural reforms supporting expansion.

With 73.3% urbanization and over 60% of population under 35, Casablanca-Settat exemplifies concentrated development: young, urban, industrializing, and increasingly digital. GDP per capita of MAD 54,997 (2022) exceeds national averages. The region functions as Morocco's growth engine—but that concentration makes national economic health dependent on a single corridor's performance.