Morocco ranks as Africa's top industrial economy in African Development Bank index

Morocco has achieved the top position in the African Development Bank's AfDB 2025 Africa Industrialization Index AII, surpassing South Africa for the first time. This ranking reflects the modernization of Moroccan industry, the diversification of its exports, and the implementation of its industrial policy. The AII evaluates industrial performance, direct determinants like private investment and foreign direct investment FDI, and indirect determinants such as market size. While Morocco does not have the largest internal market, population, or GDP among the continent's major industrial economies, its industrial apparatus is considered denser and better organized according to the AfDB's criteria. The report highlights that per capita indicators require economies with large populations to produce significantly more to demonstrate the same industrial intensity. South Africa maintains a deep industrial base but faces energy and logistical constraints, while Morocco's more advanced demographic transition makes its per capita progress more visible. The AfDB's findings do not imply that Morocco's industrial indicators universally dominate all African competitors, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO competitive industrial performance index still recognizes South Africa as a major industrial player. However, Morocco's consistent progress since 2010, moving from second to first place, underscores a sustained industrial effort, infrastructure development, gro