Impact of Socio-Economic Factors on Healthcare Expenditures of Vulnerable Elderly People in Morocco

In 1960, Morocco had 835,000 people aged 60 and over. This number reached 4.9 million in 2023 and is projected to rise to 10.1 million by 2050. The National Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey of 2013/2014 highlighted a notable disparity between male (135,387) and female (31,792) household heads. This article examines the impact of socio-economic factors on the annual health expenditures of vulnerable elderly individuals in Morocco, as well as their standard of living. Data used in this study come from the HCP-ENCDM survey (2014). We employed analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests, and multiple comparisons (Games-Howell) to identify variables influencing the increase in health expenditures among the elderly. The results indicate that health expenditures vary significantly based on regions, residence settings (urban/rural), household size, and the profession of the household head, while no significant difference was observed concerning gender. These findings underscore the importance of public health policies tailored to regional and socio-economic needs to reduce health inequalities.