Evaluation of Public Expenditure in Morocco: An Analysis Using Efficiency Frontiers

In Morocco, the increasing public expenditure on essential sectors, such as education, does not always lead to improved outcomes, highlighting a significant gap between resource allocation and quality enhancement. This study examines the efficiency of public expenditure in education, health, and infrastructure from 1990 to 2022, employing a robust Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach supplemented by bootstrap regression techniques. Our analysis reveals considerable inefficiencies, particularly in education, where higher expenditures have not consistently resulted in greater efficiency. This underscores the importance of prioritising quality, effective management, and optimal resource utilisation alongside budget increases. By integrating DEA with bootstrap methods, we provide more reliable efficiency estimates and identify key economic factors, such as inflation, urbanisation, corruption, and political stability that influence the performance of public expenditure. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to optimise resource use and enhance the effectiveness of public expenditure within Morocco’s broader development strategy.