Egypt vs Morocco: Side-by-Side Comparison
Egypt is the bigger country: it covers 1,001,449 km² against Morocco's 446,550 km², has about 116.5 million people to Morocco's 38.1 million (2024 UN estimates) and had a 2024 GDP of about $389 billion against Morocco's $155 billion. Per person, though, Morocco is ahead, at about $4,050 of GDP per head versus about $3,350 in Egypt. The two sit at opposite ends of North Africa, roughly 3,600 km apart.
Key Differences at a Glance
- Population: Egypt has about 3.1 times as many people and is the most populous Arab country.
- Size: Egypt is about 2.2 times larger by area (Morocco's figure excludes the disputed Western Sahara).
- Economy: Egypt's GDP is about 2.5 times Morocco's, but Morocco's GDP per capita is about 1.2 times higher.
- Government: Egypt is a presidential republic; Morocco is a constitutional monarchy.
- Geography: Egypt is a desert country built around the Nile and the Suez Canal; Morocco has the Atlas Mountains, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and lies 14 km from Spain.
- Language: Egypt's only official language is Arabic; Morocco's are Arabic and Tamazight (Berber), with French widely used.
| Metric | Egypt | Morocco |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Cairo | Rabat |
| Largest city | Cairo | Casablanca |
| Region (UN) | North Africa | North Africa |
| Population (2024, UN) | about 116.5 million | about 38.1 million |
| Area | 1,001,449 km² | 446,550 km² (excluding Western Sahara) |
| Population density | about 116 per km² | about 85 per km² |
| GDP (nominal, 2024) | about $389 billion (fiscal year 2023/24) | about $155 billion |
| GDP per capita (2024) | about $3,350 | about $4,050 |
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP) | Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
| Official language(s) | Arabic | Arabic, Tamazight (Berber) |
| Government | Presidential republic | Constitutional monarchy |
| Life expectancy (2023) | about 72 years | about 75 years |
| Independence | 28 February 1922 (from the UK); republic 1953 | 2 March 1956 (from France) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) | UTC+1 (UTC+0 during Ramadan) |
| Calling code | +20 | +212 |
| Drives on the | Right | Right |
| Landlocked | No | No |
Sources: population from UN World Population Prospects 2024; GDP from IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates (nominal US dollars, so values move with exchange rates); GDP per capita calculated from those two figures; life expectancy from UN/World Bank 2023 data.
Population
Egypt has by far the larger population, with about 116.5 million people against Morocco's 38.1 million according to 2024 UN estimates, roughly three times as many. Egypt is Africa's third most populous country after Nigeria and Ethiopia and the largest in the Arab world; Morocco is a mid-sized nation by continental standards (its 2024 census counted about 36.8 million residents).
Egypt's demography is unusually concentrated. The great majority of Egyptians live in the Nile Valley and Delta, which make up only about 5% of the country's land, so the national average of about 116 people per km² hides some of the highest rural densities in the world. Morocco's population is spread more evenly across its Atlantic and Mediterranean plains, river valleys and the foothills of the Atlas, at about 85 people per km². Egypt's growth centres on Greater Cairo, one of Africa's largest urban areas, and Alexandria; Morocco's on Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Marrakech and Tangier. Morocco's fertility rate is lower, so its population is growing more slowly than Egypt's.
Area and Geography
Egypt covers 1,001,449 km² against Morocco's 446,550 km², about 2.2 times the territory. If Western Sahara is included, as Moroccan maps show it, Morocco's claimed area is roughly 710,000 km², still smaller than Egypt. The two lie at opposite ends of North Africa: Egypt in the north-east corner, bridging Africa and Asia through the Sinai Peninsula, and Morocco in the far north-west. Neither is landlocked.
The contrast in landscape is sharp. Egypt is overwhelmingly desert, with the Western Desert, the Eastern Desert and Sinai surrounding the Nile, and it receives very little rain; its highest point is Mount Catherine (2,629 m) in Sinai. Morocco is far more varied: fertile Atlantic plains, the Rif along the Mediterranean, and the Middle and High Atlas, where Jbel Toubkal (4,167 m) is the highest peak in North Africa and snow falls in winter. South-east of the Atlas, Morocco's landscape turns to the Sahara, with dunes at Merzouga and Mhamid.
Economy
Egypt has the larger economy, with a GDP of about $389 billion (fiscal year 2023/24) against about $155 billion for Morocco in 2024, according to IMF and World Bank estimates. Egypt's economy draws on Suez Canal fees, tourism, remittances from Egyptians working in the Gulf and elsewhere, natural gas, construction, manufacturing and Nile Valley agriculture. Suez Canal revenue fell sharply in 2024 when attacks on shipping in the Red Sea diverted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, and repeated devaluations of the pound since 2022 have reduced Egypt's GDP measured in dollars.
Per person, the ranking reverses. Egypt's $389 billion shared among 116.5 million people gives about $3,350 each, while Morocco's $155 billion across 38.1 million people gives about $4,050. Morocco's economy is built on phosphates (it holds most of the world's known reserves), car and aerospace manufacturing around Tangier and Kenitra, agriculture exported to Europe, textiles, renewable energy and tourism. Both are major tourist destinations, each receiving well over 15 million international visitors in 2024.
Language and Culture
Egypt's official language is Arabic, and Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood dialect in the Arab world thanks to Cairo's film, television and music industries. Morocco recognises Arabic and Tamazight (Berber) as official languages; everyday speech is Moroccan Darija, which many Egyptians find hard to follow, and French is widely used in business and higher education.
Both are predominantly Sunni Muslim countries with deep Arab-Islamic heritage, but each has a distinct character. Egypt's identity is bound up with its pharaonic past, the Nile, its Coptic Christian minority (around a tenth of the population) and its role as a centre of Arab cinema, literature and learning, including Al-Azhar University. Morocco blends Arab, Amazigh, Andalusian, Jewish and Saharan influences, visible in its medinas, zellige tilework, cuisine and the imperial cities of Fez, Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat.
Currency
Egypt uses the Egyptian pound (EGP) and Morocco the Moroccan dirham (MAD). The Egyptian pound was devalued several times between 2022 and 2024, most sharply in March 2024 when it moved to a more flexible rate. The dirham is pegged to a euro–dollar basket within a trading band and has been much more stable. Both currencies are restricted, so you normally exchange money on arrival; check current rates before travelling.
History and Independence
Both have ancient roots but reached modern statehood differently. Egypt, home to one of the world's oldest civilisations, came under Ottoman and then British control; it gained formal independence from Britain in 1922, and the 1952 revolution ended the monarchy, with a republic declared in 1953. Morocco, ruled by the Alaouite dynasty since the 17th century, was a French protectorate (with a Spanish zone in the north) from 1912 and regained independence in 1956 with its monarchy intact. The resulting political difference, a republic versus a monarchy, remains the clearest institutional contrast between them.
Egypt–Morocco Relations, Trade and Travel
Egypt and Morocco do not share a border; Libya and Algeria lie between them, and Cairo and Rabat are roughly 3,600 km apart. Relations are generally cordial. Both are members of the Arab League, the African Union (Morocco rejoined in 2017 after leaving its predecessor in 1984) and the African Continental Free Trade Area, and both signed the 2004 Agadir Agreement, a free-trade pact with Tunisia and Jordan. Trade between them is modest compared with their trade with Europe and the Gulf.
The best-known rivalry is in football: Egypt's Al Ahly and Morocco's Wydad Casablanca met in the CAF Champions League finals of 2022 and 2023, winning one each, and the national teams are among Africa's most successful. For travellers, EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc fly directly between Cairo and Casablanca in about five hours; there is no practical overland route. Egypt is on UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) and Morocco on UTC+1, so Cairo is usually one or two hours ahead.
Which Country Is Bigger?
Egypt is bigger on the headline measures. It has about 2.2 times Morocco's land area (1,001,449 km² versus 446,550 km²), about three times the population (116.5 million versus 38.1 million) and a much larger economy (about $389 billion versus $155 billion). Only on GDP per capita does Morocco come out ahead, at about $4,050 against $3,350. In short, Egypt leads in size, people and total output, while Morocco is somewhat richer per person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is bigger, Egypt or Morocco?
Egypt is bigger on both main measures. It covers 1,001,449 km² compared with Morocco's 446,550 km², and it has about 116.5 million people against Morocco's 38.1 million (2024 UN estimates).
Which has the larger economy, Egypt or Morocco?
Egypt. Its GDP was about $389 billion (fiscal year 2023/24) against about $155 billion for Morocco in 2024, according to IMF and World Bank estimates.
Which has the higher GDP per capita, Egypt or Morocco?
Morocco. GDP per person is about $4,050 in Morocco versus about $3,350 in Egypt (2024), because Egypt's larger economy is shared among three times as many people.
Do Egypt and Morocco share a border?
No. Libya and Algeria lie between them, and their capitals, Cairo and Rabat, are about 3,600 km apart. Direct flights link Cairo and Casablanca.
Which should I visit, Egypt or Morocco?
Egypt is best for ancient history: the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor, Abu Simbel and Nile cruises, plus Red Sea diving. Morocco is best for medinas and landscapes: Marrakech, Fez, the Atlas Mountains and Sahara dune camps, and it is only a short hop from Europe.
Last updated: September 2026. Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024. GDP: IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates. Area: national statistics offices and the CIA World Factbook.