Morocco registered 66,277 new businesses between January and August 2026, according to the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC). Three in four (75%) were companies, and the Casablanca-Settat region alone accounted for 39.3% of new companies. Source: OMPIC, business creation in Morocco to end of August 2026.
Where does this data come from?
OMPIC is the national body that keeps Morocco’s central trade register and manages industrial property such as trademarks and designs. It publishes cumulative business creation figures during the year, broken down by legal form, region and sector.
The figures below cover registrations from 1 January to 31 August 2026, the latest period available as of October 2026. More detailed series are available on the OMPIC barometer.
What are the key figures?
| January to August 2026 | Figure |
|---|---|
| New businesses registered | 66,277 |
| Companies (legal persons) | 49,897 (75%) |
| Individual businesses (natural persons) | 16,380 (25%) |
| Single-shareholder SARL among new companies | 65% |
| Standard SARL among new companies | 33.8% |
| Negative certificates (company name checks) issued | 85,351 |
- Four regions dominate company creation. Casablanca-Settat (39.3%), Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (14.4%), Marrakech-Safi (12.3%) and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima (10.8%) account for 76.8% of new companies.
- Individual businesses follow a different map: Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima leads with 20.5%, ahead of Casablanca-Settat (13.3%) and the Oriental region (10.7%).
- By sector, new companies are concentrated in trade (27.21%), construction and real estate (25.25%) and miscellaneous services (20.04%). Transport (7.68%) and industry (6.34%) come next.
What does this mean for entrepreneurs in Morocco?
Solo founders are the norm. Nearly two in three new companies are single-shareholder SARLs. For many entrepreneurs, this form is the simplest way to start with limited liability. Bringing in partners or investors later usually means converting to a standard SARL or another form, which is worth planning from day one.
Industry is underrepresented. Only 6.34% of new companies are in industry, compared with more than half in trade, construction and real estate. For founders in manufacturing, agri-food processing or industrial services, this means less local competition among new entrants, and also fewer peers to learn from.
Outside the big four regions, the field is open. 23.2% of new companies are created in the other eight regions combined. For ecosystem organizations and investors, these regions are where support programs can make the most visible difference. The strong share of individual businesses in the north and the Oriental also signals entrepreneurship that often stays outside company structures.
Plenty of ideas are still at the name stage. OMPIC issued 85,351 negative certificates, the document that confirms a company name is available, against 49,897 companies registered over the same period. The two figures do not track the same files one by one, but the gap is a reminder that many projects pause between reserving a name and registering. For the wider context, see our analysis of investing in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
How many businesses were created in Morocco in 2026?
From January to August 2026, 66,277 new businesses were registered, according to OMPIC: 49,897 companies and 16,380 individual businesses.
Which region creates the most companies?
Casablanca-Settat, with 39.3% of new companies over the period.
What is OMPIC?
The Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property keeps the central trade register and manages trademarks, designs and patents in Morocco.
How often is the data updated?
OMPIC publishes cumulative figures through the year. The end-of-August 2026 figures are the latest available as of October 2026.
