Morocco has achieved a significant improvement in the Global Innovation Index 2026, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The country has climbed three places to rank 54th globally, marking its best performance since participating in the index. This progress is an extension of Morocco's upward trend in recent years, having moved from 75th place in 2020 to 57th in 2025.
In the classification of lower-middle-income economies, Morocco secured fourth place. The country also ranked seventh in the North Africa and West Asia region. The World Intellectual Property Organization categorized Morocco among economies that have rapidly ascended in the innovation index over the past decade, alongside China, India, Vietnam, Turkey, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The World Intellectual Property Organization highlighted Morocco's leading dynamic in North Africa, driven by the growth of the industrial sector and the increasing valuation of intangible assets. These include industrial designs, trademarks, and high-tech activities. According to the index data, Morocco ranks fifth globally in industrial designs and eighth in intangible asset density.
Morocco achieved notable rankings in various areas, including 13th in labor productivity growth, 16th in trademarks, 22nd in public policy stability for businesses, and 23rd in the proportion of science and engineering graduates. The country also ranked 28th in high-tech manufacturing output. These results reflect a gradual shift in Morocco's economy towards technology-based and knowledge-intensive activities.
The Global Innovation Index assesses 139 economies based on 79 indicators, covering innovation inputs and outputs. Morocco's performance indicates a notable difference between its innovation input ranking of 76th and its innovation output ranking of 46th. This disparity highlights the country's ability to convert allocated resources into tangible results.
The report attributes the progress of emerging economies in the index to their capacity to connect national expertise with global markets. This is achieved through global value chains, trade in high-tech products and services, digital services, and intellectual property activities. The report also emphasizes the importance of expanding research capabilities and strengthening industry-academia connections.
To further improve, the report recommends developing cooperation between universities and businesses, enhancing research and development in the private sector, and improving access to funding sources for start-ups and expanding enterprises. The Global Innovation Index provides a comprehensive evaluation of innovation performance worldwide, offering insights for policymakers and stakeholders.
Key points
- Morocco ranks 54th globally in the Global Innovation Index 2026.
- The country has shown significant improvement in innovation outputs, ranking 46th.
- Morocco's economy is shifting towards technology-based and knowledge-intensive activities.
