ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES TRADE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MOROCCAN CASE

The rapid evolution of the global economy in recent decades has significantly reconfigured the dynamics of international trade, placing the trade in services at the forefront of concerns. On an international scale, the trade in services has become a crucial element in the economic landscape, shaping trade relations between nations and influencing overall economic growth. This transformation has been extensively studied and discussed by researchers, economists, and international trade experts. Trade in services is emerging as a driving force in the global economic field, marking a significant shift in how nations interact and thrive. This transition to a service-oriented economy is not a simple sectoral adjustment but rather a major catalyst for economic development. In this essay, imports of travel, transportation, professional, technical, and financial services in real and monetary terms negatively contribute to economic development. Conversely, their export, combined with net foreign direct investments, follows an opposite trend. However, the literacy rate among adults and the tertiary enrollment rate do not present a significant impact on this growth, indicating alarming signs for the implementation of structural reforms in the education sector from an economic development perspective. This analysis has utilized linear models, specifically multiple linear regression, with the aim of quantifying the impact of determinants of international trade in services on economic development in Morocco.