Morocco is anticipating a significant number of civil service retirements over the next five years. According to data from the Moroccan Pension Fund (CMR), 70,266 civil servants are expected to retire on age-limit grounds between 2026 and 2030. This represents 12.2% of the current civil workforce of 574,026 employees. The retirements are spread fairly evenly across the five years, with 14,722 projected in 2026, 14,654 in 2027, 14,195 in 2028, 13,689 in 2029, and 13,006 in 2030.
The Ministry of National Education and Preschool will be the most affected, with 28,012 employees set to retire over the period. This accounts for 39.9% of all age-limit departures and 14.9% of its own workforce. The ministry's yearly figures decline steadily, from 6,485 in 2026 to 4,858 by 2030. The Ministry of the Interior ranks second, with 15,945 projected retirements, representing 22.7% of the total and 8.9% of its staff.
Other ministries will also experience significant retirements. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection is projected to lose 5,645 employees, or 8% of all age-limit departures and 9.4% of its own workforce. The Ministry of Higher Education will face 4,793 retirements, equal to 6.8% of the total and 16.3% of its staff. Additionally, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance will experience 2,792 departures, 4% of the total and 11% of its workforce.
The education sector will account for most of the departures. National Education and Higher Education face 32,805 departures over the five years, equal to 15.1% of their combined workforce. The Interior, Health and Social Protection, Economy and Finance, and Justice will also experience significant retirements, representing 8.9%, 9.4%, 11%, and 14.5% of each department's civil staff, respectively.
Retirements have contributed significantly to changes in public employment over the past decade. According to the report, more than 81% of budget-post suppressions between 2016 and 2026 were due to age-limit departures. These departures have also led to a slight overall decline in the civil workforce, which fell from 583,267 posts in 2016 to 574,026 in 2026, a drop of about 1.6%.
The majority of suppressed posts were held by senior grades. Posts held by cadres at scales 10 and above made up 81.9% of the total over the period, or 160,206 posts, an average of 14,564 a year. Execution-grade staff at scale 6 and assimilated accounted for 9.5%, or 18,609 posts, averaging 1,692 a year.
Pension contributions represent a significant share of the state payroll. In 2025, amounts withheld for the CMR reached MAD 34.43 billion ($3.44 billion), or 22.60% of personnel spending. State personnel spending has risen over the decade, climbing from MAD 118.704 billion ($11.87 billion) in 2016 to MAD 195.331 billion ($19.53 billion) in 2026, an overall increase of about 64.55% and an average annual rise of 5.11%.
Key points
- Morocco expects 70,266 civil servants to retire between 2026 and 2030.
- The Ministry of National Education and Preschool will account for the largest share of retirements, with 28,012 employees set to retire.
- Retirements have contributed to a decline in the civil workforce, which fell by 1.6% between 2016 and 2026.
