Between 2024 and 2028, a total of 65,213 Moroccan civil servants are expected to retire, according to the report on human resources accompanying the 2025 Finance Bill. This figure, which accounts for 13% of the current workforce, signals significant upcoming changes, particularly in sectors like education, health, and interior administration.
The data, provided by the Moroccan Pension Fund (CMR), highlights that the largest number of retirements will occur within the Ministry of Education, with 26,911 employees set to leave their posts. Other sectors that will see substantial retirements include the Ministry of Interior (14,062), Health (5,718), Higher Education (4,657), Justice (1,890), and Economy and Finance (1,719). These retirements will have a profound impact on workforce dynamics and recruitment needs in these vital sectors.
Retirements have long been a key factor in reducing the number of budgeted positions in Morocco’s civil service. Between 2014 and 2024, retirements accounted for 82% of all eliminated positions across government departments. The Ministry of Education alone saw 62% of these cuts, with 119,028 positions being eliminated. Other sectors affected include Health (22,138 positions), Interior (15,317), Higher Education (8,457), and Economy and Finance (5,865).
The upcoming wave of retirements will affect a variety of employee groups, from executives to operational staff. According to the report, the elimination of budgeted positions has disproportionately impacted higher-level cadres (79.5% of cuts), followed by operational staff in scale 6 (10.8%) and mid-level personnel in scales 7 to 9 (9.7%). This trend underscores the need for targeted recruitment strategies to fill gaps in expertise and maintain public service efficiency, particularly in sectors like education and healthcare.Addressing the Workforce Challenge
With such a high number of employees set to retire, the government will face a dual challenge: managing the loss of experienced professionals while ensuring that essential public services continue to function smoothly. This shift presents an opportunity for renewal and modernization of the public workforce but also emphasizes the importance of a well-planned recruitment strategy to address the anticipated shortages in key areas.
