Comparative analysis of scientific production in Morocco and comparable countries

Authors

  • Tarik HMAMI Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of ain Chok, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
  • Rachid CHAABITA Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of ain Chok, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
  • El Bachir KOUHLANI Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of ain Chok, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
  • Redouane ASSAD Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, Morocco
  • Kamal ZEHRAOUI Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of ain Chok, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
  • Oussama ELKHALFI Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of fez, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of Moroccan scientific production between 2000 and 2024 in relation to four African and Mediterranean countries (Egypt, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia). Using bibliometric data from the multidisciplinary database SCOPUS, covering all indexed publications from the five countries over the period under review, the study examines quantitative trends of scientific production, disciplinary distribution, and academic staff productivity. It thereby highlights the specificities and strengths of each national scientific system, identifying areas of excellence and potential performance factors that characterize these countries. The bibliometric analysis moves beyond a purely quantitative approach to grasp the structure and evolution of scientific research ecosystems, offering a methodological framework that can serve as a relevant decision-making tool for shaping national science policy.

The results reveal a substantial growth in Moroccan scientific output, rising from 1 269 publications in 2000 to 18 378 publications in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +11.8%. This trajectory has enabled Morocco to overtake its Maghreb neighbors, namely Algeria (13 346 publications in 2024) and Tunisia (11 556 publications in 2024). However, its scientific profile remains characterized by a strong concentration in natural and exact sciences (51%), alongside a persistent underrepresentation in medical and health sciences (10%) and humanities and social sciences (12%). This configuration contrasts with that of the continental leaders, Egypt (44 595 publications in 2024, with 21% in medical and health sciences) and South Africa (38 186 publications in 2024, with 29% in humanities and social sciences), reflecting the combined influence of national strategic choices, past political orientations, and historical and structural factors that have favored the development of certain scientific fields over others.

To refine this comparative analysis, the study uses a new specific metric : the average time to produce a scientific article (ATPSA/TMPAS). This indicator allows for a fine-grained and comparable differentiation of the efficiency and output of scientific activity at the national level. Thus, in 2024, Moroccan academic staff published an average of one article per year, ranking Morocco in second place behind South Africa (0.7 year). The approach adopted in this study, which integrates volume, disciplinary structure, and efficiency metrics, provides relevant insights for formulating a more balanced science policy, in order to strengthen the international competitiveness of Moroccan research.

JEL Classification : I23, O38, O57.

Paper type : Theoretical Research.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-06

How to Cite

HMAMI, T., CHAABITA, R., KOUHLANI, E. B., ASSAD, R., ZEHRAOUI, K., & ELKHALFI, O. (2026). Comparative analysis of scientific production in Morocco and comparable countries. International Journal of Accounting, Finance, Auditing, Management and Economics, 7(3), 346–360. Retrieved from https://ijafame.org/index.php/ijafame/article/view/2321

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): March

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Tarik HMAMI, Rachid CHAABITA, El Bachir KOUHLANI, Redouane ASSAD, Kamal ZEHRAOUI, Oussama ELKHALFI

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright is held by the authors under this licence.
CC-BY-NC-ND.

Any work submitted that is suspected of being pirated or plagiarism is entirely the responsibility of the submitting author.