Moroccans purchase more household appliances

Moroccans, especially in the urban areas, purchase more and more household appliances, with a preference for the fridge.

The percentage of households equipped with a fridge went up from 27.1 percent in 1991 to 44.1 percent in 1998, according to figures released by the statistics department.

During the same period, TV sets have also attracted more consumers as 72.3 percent of households have a TV set in 1998, compared to 58.9 percent in 1991 while video-recorders are present in 19.5 percent households compared to 7.5 percent in 1991.

A boom was also recorded in antenna dishes which ornament the roofs or balconies of 21.1 percent of dwellings compared to only 10.3 percent in 1995.

Cars remain however a luxury item for Moroccan consumers as only 11.8 percent of the population own a car.

The percentages are much lower in the rural areas where only 8.2 percent of households have a fridge, 45.5 percent have a TV set, 3 percent have a video recorder and only 4.3 percent have a car.