Changes in Family-Building Patterns in Egypt and Morocco: A Comparative Analysis

($3,829) than in Morocco ($3,477), as is the proportion of adults who are literate (51% vs. 44%). Life expectancy at birth is almost equal in the two countries (66 years in Morocco and 65 years in Egypt). In Morocco, 52% of the population live in urban areas, compared with 45% of the Egyptian population. During recent years, urban growth has slowed somewhat in Egypt, as migration from rural areas to cities has tapered off because improvements in the transportation network have facilitated daily migration. In Morocco, on the other hand, entire rural families still move to the city to find work. Moreover, in both urban and rural areas, the population distribution is more concentrated in Egypt than in Morocco; for example, 23% of Egypt’s total population lives in greater Cairo, while only 17% of Morocco’s population resides in the megalopolis that stretches along the Atlantic coast from Casablanca to Kenitra.3 The Arab nation of Egypt is more ethnically and linguistically homogenous than Morocco, which has a large minority Berber population; for example, at least Eltigani E. Eltigani is assistant research professor at the Social Research Center, American University in Cairo (AUC). The study on which this article is based was conducted under the framework of the New Demography of the Arab Region Project. The project is coordinated by the Social Research Center, AUC, and is supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. Changes in Family-Building Patterns in Egypt and Morocco: A Comparative Analysis