Integrating the informal economy into a social accounting matrix: A framework for inclusive economic policy in Morocco

Abstract

This article presents an operational statistical methodology to explicitly integrate the informal economy into Morocco's Social Accounting Matrix (SAM). It represents the first national level attempt within the Moroccan official statistical system to coherently link microeconomic and macroeconomic data within an integrated statistical framework. The objective is to enhance the SAM's capacity to reflect the real economic structure and to support policy evaluation addressing the structural duality of the Moroccan economy. The approach combines a bottom-up method, using data from the informal sector survey and the employment satellite account, with a top-down procedure that disaggregates macroeconomic aggregates based on ratios derived from informal sector data, using the national accounts’ supply and use tables. Results reveal strong structural interdependencies between the formal and informal sectors. Pronounced backward linkages highlight the dependence of informal units on formal sector inputs, while significant forward linkages emphasize their pivotal role in supplying goods and services to households.