Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra

العيون-الساقية الحمراء

One of Morocco’s 12 régions.

Population, 2024: 451,028
Since 2014: +22.6%
Households: 106,751
Communes: 20
Provinces and préfectures: 4
Area: 144,735 km²

Its communes, shaded by density. Each one has a page.

Most populous: Laâyoune 262,791
Grew the most: Tifariti +10,314.6%
Shrank the most: Lamssid −46.7%
Densest: Laâyoune 2,597 people per km²

People and homes

What the census found about the people and their homes. What each figure means · Glossary

Can’t read or write: 15.3%aged 10 and over21.5% in 201420.5% among women24.8% across Morocco
Unemployment: 26.6%28.0% in 201444.9% among women21.3% across Morocco
In the labour force: 46.4%aged 15 and over52.5% in 201419.4% among women41.6% across Morocco
At school, aged 6 to 11: 96.6%in 2023/2495.8% across Morocco
Fertility: 2.17children per woman2.50 in 20141.97 across Morocco
Disability: 3.0%of people3.4% in 20144.8% across Morocco
Household size: 3.9people on average4.3 in 20143.9 across Morocco
Running water: 96.0%of settled households81.6% in 201482.9% across Morocco

Age

Men and women by age, each as a share of their own.

Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra: men and women by age, as a share of each
Men	Age
1.4%	75 and over	1.6%
1.6%	70–74	1.4%
2.3%	65–69	2.0%
3.6%	60–64	3.2%
3.9%	55–59	3.8%
5.4%	50–54	5.1%
6.2%	45–49	6.1%
7.4%	40–44	7.3%
7.8%	35–39	8.0%
8.1%	30–34	8.8%
7.5%	25–29	8.5%
7.6%	20–24	8.1%
8.0%	15–19	7.8%
9.6%	10–14	9.5%
10.3%	5–9	10.1%
9.1%	0–4	8.9%

Local languages used

Many people use more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.

Darija85.0%
Hassania34.3%
Tachelhit12.7%
Tamazight3.6%
Tarifit0.4%

More census figures

Languages read and written

By those aged 10 and over who can read.

Arabic99.4%
French54.1%
English21.3%
Amazigh, in Tifinagh1.6%

Getting to work

How employed people get to work.

On foot42.8%
Private car16.2%
Taxi10.4%
Bike or motorcycle10.3%
Employer’s transport10.3%
Doesn’t travel to work5.2%
Informal transport2.2%
Bus1.4%
Another way1.0%
Animal0.1%
Train0.0%
Tram0.0%

Can’t read or write: 21.5%aged 10 and over15.3% in 202428.8% among women32.2% across Morocco
Unemployment: 28.0%26.6% in 202455.8% among women16.2% across Morocco
In the labour force: 52.5%aged 15 and over46.4% in 202426.0% among women47.6% across Morocco
At school, aged 7 to 12: 97.7%95.1% across Morocco
Fertility: 2.50children per woman2.17 in 20242.22 across Morocco
Disability: 3.4%of people3.0% in 20245.1% across Morocco
Household size: 4.3people on average3.9 in 20244.6 across Morocco
Running water: 81.6%of settled households96.0% in 202473.0% across Morocco

Age

Men and women by age, each as a share of their own.

Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra: men and women by age, as a share of each
Men	Age
1.2%	75 and over	1.2%
0.8%	70–74	0.8%
1.1%	65–69	1.1%
2.4%	60–64	2.0%
3.7%	55–59	3.0%
5.2%	50–54	4.5%
5.6%	45–49	5.4%
6.9%	40–44	7.0%
7.6%	35–39	7.9%
9.0%	30–34	9.0%
9.2%	25–29	9.7%
9.5%	20–24	10.1%
8.8%	15–19	9.1%
8.9%	10–14	9.1%
9.2%	5–9	9.2%
10.8%	0–4	11.0%

Local languages used

Many people use more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.

Darija78.8%
Hassania39.3%
Tachelhit12.8%
Tamazight2.7%
Tarifit0.3%

More census figures

Languages read and written

Each person who can read counts once, under what they read and write.

Arabic and French44.1%
Arabic only31.6%
Arabic, French and English20.1%
Other combinations4.1%

Getting to work

How employed people get to work.

On foot55.9%
Private car10.6%
Taxi9.6%
Bike or motorcycle8.8%
Employer’s transport5.2%
Not stated3.6%
Bus3.1%
Another way2.0%
Works at home1.2%
Train0.0%
Tram0.0%

Where people work

Where employed people work, asked in 2014.

Another in the commune43.4%
Their own neighbourhood31.2%
No fixed place12.0%
Another commune4.9%
Not stated3.5%
Another province2.3%
Somewhere else1.5%
At home1.2%

What people did

The work employed people did in 2014. The 2024 census doesn’t publish this by commune.

Clerical work25.8%
Crafts and skilled trades18.8%
Labouring and small trades17.0%
Trade and broking8.3%
Managers and senior professionals7.8%
Farm and fishing labour6.9%
Machine operating4.6%
Farming and fishing3.8%
Technicians3.6%
Not classified3.4%

Highest diploma

What people aged 10 and over had qualified in by 2014, in general education. Vocational training is counted apart.

No diploma44.2%
Primary25.5%
Lower secondary16.4%
Upper secondary9.4%
DEUG or Licence3.5%
Master’s or doctorate0.9%
Not declared0.0%

Urban dwellings

The 2024 census counted the dwellings in Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra’s urban area, the empty ones too. Every share here is of those. What each figure counts · Glossary

Dwellings: 130,152
Standing empty: 21.9%15.3% vacant6.6% a second home
Precarious: 2.8%2.0% a slum or basic house
On the sewer: 97.2%96.1% on the water mains97.1% on the electricity grid
Housing shortfall: 3.2%households short, against the sound stock

More dwelling figures

What kind they are

Every dwelling in the town, lived in or not.

Modern house83.9%
Apartment11.8%
Slum or basic house2.0%
Traditional house0.8%
Other0.8%
Villa0.7%
Rural-type0.0%

How old they are

When the dwelling was built.

Under 20 years75.7%
20 to 49 years23.7%
50 years or more0.6%

Business and jobs

Every establishment the census mapped, and the businesses among them. What each count covers · Glossary

Establishments: 20,07744.5 per 1,000 people35.4 across Morocco
Businesses: 18,69693.1% of the establishments
Permanent jobs: 43,2032.3 per business
Public services: 1,135
Associations: 246in premises of their own
Weekly souks: 1counted outside the total

More business figures

Businesses by sector

Every sector but agriculture.

Commerce58.8%
Services27.3%
Industry10.3%
Construction3.6%

Businesses by the people they employ

By how many people work there.

One person64.5%
2 to 328.3%
4 to 95.4%
10 to 491.6%
50 and over0.3%

When the businesses were founded

The year the business was set up.

2020 or later32.4%
2011–201944.6%
2001–201014.3%
1991–20005.9%
1981–19901.7%
1956–19801.0%
Before 19560.0%

Douars

Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra’s rural communes hold 29 douars, with 11,288 people. Their homes are, on average, this far from the nearest of each.

Lycée: 35.3 km59.5% of homes more than 10 km away
Collège: 31.9 km48.8% of homes more than 10 km away
Health centre: 13.2 km33.7% of homes more than 10 km away
Paved road: 1.9 km1.8% of homes more than 10 km away
Primary school: 16.8 km38.8% of homes more than 10 km away

Every commune on the map

Provinces and préfectures

Province or préfecture	Type	Population, 2024	Communes
Laâyoune	province	295,555	5
Es-Semara	province	73,864	6
Boujdour	province	65,381	4
Tarfaya	province	16,228	5

Communes

Commune	Type	Population, 2024	Since 2014	Per km²
Laâyoune	urban	262,791	+20.7%	2,597
Boujdour	urban	57,360	+34.5%	203
Es-Semara	urban	56,607	−0.8%	723
El Marsa	urban	28,848	+61.0%	298
Tarfaya	urban	11,030	+37.4%	175
Gueltat Zemmour	rural	6,881	+7.6%	0.3
Tifariti	rural	5,728	+10,314.6%	0.3
Haouza	rural	5,197	−4.9%	0.4
Amgala	rural	4,102	+39.3%	0.4
Akhfennir	rural	2,841	+24.6%	1
Foum El Oued	rural	1,844	+33.6%	0.9
Jdiriya	rural	1,792	+622.6%	0.1
Boukraa	rural	1,171	+109.9%	0.3
Daoura	rural	902	−18.6%	0.4
Dcheira	rural	901	+77.0%	0.2
Tah	rural	894	−41.0%	0.3
Jraifia	rural	835	−12.1%	0.1
El Hagounia	rural	561	+271.5%	0.1
Sidi Ahmed Laaroussi	rural	438	+62.8%	0.1
Lamssid	rural	305	−46.7%	0

In the data

Code: 11
As digits: 11
Record: /api/regions/11.json
Communes: /api/regions/11/communes/page/1.json
Boundary: /api/regions/11/boundary.geojson
Census figures: /api/regions/11/indicators.json
Business and jobs: /api/regions/11/economy.json
Urban dwellings: /api/regions/11/housing.json

Report an error on this page