Casablanca – Morocco recorded 51,805 new company registrations during the first half of 2026, according to data from the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC), indicating continued activity in the country’s formal business sector. The registrations, covering the period from January through June, include both incorporated companies and businesses established by individual entrepreneurs. 

Legal entities accounted for the majority of new registrations, with 39,001 companies, representing 75% of the total. Individual businesses accounted for 12,804 registrations, or 25%. On a monthly basis, the overall figure corresponds to an average of roughly 8,634 new registrations, although the data do not indicate that registrations were evenly distributed across the six months. 

The composition of new businesses provides an indication of the types of structures entrepreneurs are using to enter the formal economy. Among legal entities, the single-member limited liability company, known in Morocco as the SARL AU, was by far the most common form. It represented 65.2% of registrations involving legal entities. Standard limited liability companies, or SARLs, accounted for another 33.7%. 

Together, these two structures represented 98.9% of newly registered legal entities during the period. Other legal forms therefore accounted for only a small proportion of new incorporated businesses. The figures suggest that entrepreneurs registering companies continue to favor limited liability structures, particularly those allowing a business to be established with a single shareholder. 

The regional distribution of company creation was also highly concentrated. Casablanca-Settat accounted for 39.3% of newly registered legal entities during the first half of the year, making it the largest center for incorporated business creation in Morocco. 

Rabat-Salé-Kénitra followed with 14.5%, while Marrakech-Safi represented 12.5%. Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima ranked fourth with 10.6%. Combined, these four regions accounted for 76.9% of all new legal entities registered nationally. 

The concentration reflects the weight of Morocco’s major economic and urban centers in formal business activity. Casablanca-Settat, in particular, hosts a large share of the country’s corporate, financial and commercial activity, while Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Marrakech-Safi and Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima also include major administrative, tourism, industrial, logistics and services centers. 

The geographical pattern was different for individual businesses. Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima ranked first among regions for registrations by individual entrepreneurs, accounting for 20.8% of the total. Casablanca-Settat followed with 13.3%, while the Oriental region ranked third with 10.8%. 

This difference between incorporated companies and individual businesses shows that entrepreneurial activity does not follow the same regional pattern across all business categories. While Casablanca-Settat has a strong lead in company registrations by legal entities, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima had the largest share of individual-business registrations. 

The sectoral distribution of newly established legal entities provides another view of the areas attracting new business activity. Commerce was the leading sector, accounting for 27.2% of registrations. Construction, public works and real estate activities followed with 25.4%. 

Various services represented 20% of new legal entities, while transport accounted for 7.5%. Industry represented 6.3% of registrations. Together, commerce and construction, public works and real estate accounted for more than half of newly established legal entities. 

The distribution indicates that company creation during the first half of 2026 was concentrated mainly in activities linked to trade, construction and property, as well as a broad range of services. Industrial businesses represented a smaller share of new legal-entity registrations, although the registration data alone do not measure the size, investment value or employment potential of the companies being created. 

Another indicator of business-creation activity was the number of commercial names issued by OMPIC. The office granted 68,416 negative certificates between January and June 2026. A negative certificate confirms the availability of a proposed commercial name and forms part of the process of establishing a company. 

The number of negative certificates is higher than the number of companies ultimately registered during the same period, but the two figures measure different stages of the business-creation process. A commercial name reservation does not necessarily result in a completed company registration. 

The latest figures therefore provide several indications about Morocco’s entrepreneurial activity in the first half of 2026. More than 51,800 companies entered the Commercial Register, with incorporated businesses representing three-quarters of registrations. Within this category, SARL AU and SARL structures accounted for nearly all registrations. 

The data also show a strong regional concentration. More than three-quarters of new legal entities were registered in four regions, led by Casablanca-Settat. At the same time, individual business registrations displayed a different pattern, with Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima occupying the top position. 

Sectorally, commerce remained the largest area for newly registered legal entities, followed by construction, public works and real estate. Services also accounted for a significant share, while transport and industry represented smaller portions of registrations. 

These figures describe the volume and structure of formal business registrations, but they do not by themselves indicate how many of the newly established companies will remain active over the longer term, their turnover, investment levels or their contribution to employment. Those indicators require additional data on company performance and survival. 

For the first six months of 2026, however, the OMPIC figures show a sustained flow of new business registrations across Morocco. The combination of more than 51,000 new companies, nearly 68,500 commercial-name certificates and a concentration of activity in major economic regions provides a broad picture of continued formalization and business formation during the period.