The Real Cost of Eid

On average the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha eats up nearly 29% on average of the monthly total expenditure of Moroccan households. According to the High Planning Commission (HCP) the financial burden on the household budget varies according to a family's standard of living

In 10% of the poorest households this cost represents more than half (57%) of the monthly total expenditure, against 15% for the wealthiest 10% of the population.

In order to perform the ritual of sacrifice, a majority  (96.2%) of Moroccan households opt for sheep while the rest prefer goats (3.3%). This is the case particularly in rural areas. Only a few (0.5%) choose cattle.

Another remarkable revelation by the  HCP claims that during Eid al-Adha families consume nearly 41% of the annual amount of red meat consumed by households. This is even higher (65.4%) for 20% of the poorest households.  In contrast to the richest households who consume 31.3% of their annual red meat consumption.

On the positive side, the rural economy benefits, with spending by all households reaching 13 billion dirhams last year.

The feast of Eid al-Adha was not observed by 4.7% of Moroccan households in 2013. This proportion has decreased compared to the period 2000/2001 when it reached 5.2%. The HCP says that urban households are more likely not to sacrifice sheep than rural ones (5.9% against 2.5%).

According to the HCP, the richer and more educated an individual is, the more he tends to avoid this religious obligation. Nearly 12% of households in the 10% of the wealthiest population do not sacrifice sheep on the occasion of Eid.  11.6% of households with higher levels of education are part of that trend, against 4% for household heads with no education.

Complicating the financial burden this Eid is the approaching school year which begins just one week after the festival. Moroccan households will pay more than usual with 20% affluent households spending more than 78% of their total monthly expenditure just on these two events. School fees have risen sharply in recent years (+ 40% in 10 years).

SHARE THIS!