• Population - 32,309,239 (July 2012 est.)
• Life expectancy – 76
• Median age – 27
• Literacy – 52%
• Labor force – 45% in agriculture
• Unemployment – 9.2% (22% for youth)
• 15% below poverty line
• Inflation – 1.9%

Morocco's economy is growing rapidly, but many in the country continue to suffer from poverty and a woeful lack of employment opportunities. The average Moroccan is struggling to provide for their family as they face high food and fuel prices.

Origins: MEDA created a Moroccan presence and project office in 2008 with the establishment of the Youth Invest program, which is working to increase access to financial and non-financial services for young entrepreneurs and employees in five regions of the country. In addition to developing an extensive "100 Hours to Success" training module for use with tens of thousands of youth, the project is enabling youth to access appropriate financial services, particularly savings, and preparing them for engagement in the workforce.