Morocco CNSS Pension Reform 2026: Retirement Age and Pensions — What Is Proposed, What Is Decided

What is actually in force in 2026 (CNSS regime)

None of the core parameters of the CNSS old-age pension have changed, as published on cnss.ma: legal age 60 (55 for miners with at least 5 years underground), cessation of all salaried activity, and a minimum of 3,240 insured days (or totalisation with another scheme). The pension equals 50% of the reference salary — the average declared salary over the last 96 months, subject to the regulatory ceiling — for 3,240 days, plus 1 point for each additional 216 days, capped at 70% (reached at 7,560 days). If the calculated amount is below 1,000 MAD, a minimum pension of 1,000 MAD (1,100 MAD in some cases) is paid.

The only recent change stems from the social dialogue agreement of 29 April 2024: since 1 May 2025, an employee with between 1,320 and 3,239 insured days can claim a pro-rata pension ((accumulated days / 3,240) × 50% of the reference salary), with a guaranteed minimum by bracket: 600 MAD (1,320-1,704 days), 700 MAD (1,705-2,088), 800 MAD (2,089-2,472), 900 MAD (2,473-2,856) and 1,000 MAD (2,857-3,239). The measure applies retroactively to people who retired from 1 January 2023. Those below 1,320 days can now recover the employer's share of contributions in addition to their own (Head of Government communiqué, April 2026 social dialogue round).

• CNSS legal age: 60 (unchanged) — 55 for underground miners.
• Minimum duration: 3,240 days for a full pension; 1,320 to 3,239 days for a pro-rata pension since 1 May 2025.
• Rate: 50% at 3,240 days, +1 point per 216 days, capped at 70%.
• Minimum pension: 1,000 MAD/month (1,100 MAD in some cases); 600-1,000 MAD scale for short careers.
• Civil service (CMR): age 63 since the 2016 parametric reform (Law 71-14) — this is the '63' that is sometimes confused with CNSS.

What the reform project does (and does not) contain

There is, to date, no published bill setting a new retirement age for private-sector employees, and the government has never released official figures on the age or contribution rates under consideration. What is documented: (1) the National Commission on pensions, chaired by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, met on 17 July 2025 with UMT, UGTM, CDT, CGEM, COMADER and the pension funds and set up a technical committee to build a shared diagnosis of each scheme (cg.gov.ma, MAP, 17 July 2025); (2) Finance Minister Nadia Fettah presented demographic and financial indicators there, with no quantified proposal made public; (3) the underlying direction, inherited from the 2013 social dialogue and restated by Bank Al-Maghrib in its 2025 Financial Stability Report (July 2026), is the creation of two poles — public (CMR, RCAR) and private (CNSS, CIMR) — with balanced pricing of rights.

The 'age 65' figure quoted in the press does not come from any published government text but from the unions: on 1 May 2026, UMT secretary-general Miloudi Moukharik told Hespress that the executive was proposing 'raising the retirement age to 65, cutting pensions and raising contributions', a 'cursed trio' the union rejects (a position already voiced on 17 July 2025). That scenario matches the 2013 commission's recommendations (age 65, contribution rate from 20% to 28%, reference salary over the last 8 years), which led in 2016 to the only reform adopted so far — the CMR reform for civil servants. The '63' in our original headline is therefore neither a decision nor even a documented official proposal for CNSS: at best it is a hypothesis of convergence with the civil-service age.

Timeline and sticking points

• 29 April 2024 — Social dialogue agreement: commitment to launch pension reform; measures secured for short careers (1,320 days).
• 30 December 2024 — Nadia Fettah tells Parliament a 'first presentation' of proposals will come in January 2025, built around the two public/private poles (MAP).
• 17 July 2025 — National Commission meeting; technical committee created; unions and employers call for a 'concerted' reform (cg.gov.ma, MAP).
• September-November 2025 — Fund-by-fund technical meetings; last one on 17 November 2025. The executive targets conclusions in April 2026 and draft texts before the elections (Hespress, 25 November 2025).
• 31 December 2025 — Nadia Fettah rejects the unions' 'alarmist discourse' and states that 'no solution will be retained without consensus with the social partners' (Hespress).
• 5 April 2026 — At the unions' request, the 6 April technical meeting is postponed until after the 17 April social dialogue session; unions prioritise wages and purchasing power (Hespress).
• 17 April 2026 — April social dialogue round: the government says the commission 'continues its work' and commits to opening a debate on retirees earning less than the minimum wage; no decision on age or contributions (cg.gov.ma).
• 1 May 2026 — UMT publicly rejects the age-65 / lower-pensions / higher-contributions scenario (Hespress).
• 13 May 2026 — The opposition (PPS) challenges the government in Parliament over the delay (Hespress).
• 8 June and 30 July 2026 — Médias24: the reform 'will probably wait for another government', then is 'once again postponed to the next government'.
• 14 and 28 July 2026 — Bank Al-Maghrib (Systemic Risk Coordination and Surveillance Committee) notes persistent structural imbalances and recommends the two-pole reform (Hespress).

Why is it stuck? Three reasons emerge from the sources. First, the political calendar: weeks before the 2026 legislative elections, no majority wants to own an unpopular measure on retirement age. Second, a fundamental disagreement with the unions, who dispute the 'bankruptcy' diagnosis (UMT points to reserves held at CDG and demands pension increases and settlement of state arrears first). Third, the effect of the 2024-2026 wage increases (+1,000 MAD net in the civil service, SMIG raised to 3,422.72 MAD/month on 1 January 2026), which temporarily boosted fund revenues and, in the minister's words, 'bought two to three years' — a reprieve, not a solution.

Where do the funds really stand?

According to Bank Al-Maghrib's 2025 Financial Stability Report, as reported by Hespress on 28 July 2026, the viability horizons (reserve depletion) are 5 to 6 years for the CMR civil pensions scheme, about 10 years for the CNSS long-term branch and 29 years for the RCAR general scheme; CIMR (the private sector's points-based supplementary scheme) shows solid prospects. For CMR, wage increases brought the equilibrium contribution rate down from 35% to 32%, narrowing the gap with the statutory rate 'from seven to four points'. For CNSS, the pre-funding rate of rights is only 58%, a sign of 'persistent under-pricing' of the rights granted. More broadly, around 54% of working-age Moroccans have no pension coverage at all (Hespress, 9 September 2025).

Have pensions been increased?

No — there has been no general 8% increase and no three-year plan. The only effective measures are the opening of rights from 1,320 days (above) and, according to UMT, a 5% increase in the private sector that only benefited people who retired after 2021, worth 'no more than 200 dirhams'. Retiree associations (retired teachers, the Moroccan retirees' union) demand an immediate 2,000 MAD increase per pension and denounce a freeze of basic pensions since 1997; UMT cites pensions of 300 to 1,000 MAD per month and survivor pensions capped at 50%. The only government commitment to date (April 2026) is to 'open a debate' on retirees earning less than the minimum wage. No quantified decision has been taken.

Impact by generation: what can honestly be said

There is no transition calendar by year of birth, because no text has been adopted: any simulation for 'the 1967 cohort' or 'the 1973 cohort' would be invented. What is certain: (1) if you reach 60 before any law is passed, you retire under current conditions; (2) past Moroccan reforms have always been gradual (CMR moved from 60 to 63 in steps between 2016 and 2019), suggesting that any private-sector increase would spare people close to the legal age; (3) for employees earning above the CNSS ceiling, the real replacement rate is low whatever the reform — hence the value of CIMR (if your employer is affiliated) or individual retirement savings. Use our multi-scheme retirement simulator to estimate your pension under current rules, and check back here: we will update this page as soon as an official text is published.

FAQ

Did the CNSS retirement age move to 63 in 2026?

No. The CNSS legal age remains 60. The 63 threshold applies to civil servants under CMR since the 2016 reform. No law changing the CNSS age has been adopted or tabled in Parliament as of 27 August 2026.

Is the government proposing 65?

That is what the unions say (UMT, 1 May 2026), and it is the historical 2013 scenario. The government has published no official figure and keeps repeating that no solution will be retained 'without consensus'. It is a scenario under debate, not a decision.

Will my pension go up by 8%?

No 8% increase has been decided. The only recent measure is the opening of pension rights from 1,320 contribution days (since 1 May 2025, retroactive to 1 January 2023).

When will the reform be adopted?

Not before the 2026 legislative elections: according to Médias24 (8 June and 30 July 2026), the file is deferred to the next government. Bank Al-Maghrib warns that each postponement reduces room for manoeuvre and raises the future cost of reform.

Sources

• CNSS — Old-age pension: conditions, formula, minimum pensions (cnss.ma, consulted 27 August 2026).
• Head of Government — Communiqués of the April 2025 and April 2026 social dialogue rounds; National Commission meeting of 17 July 2025 (cg.gov.ma).
• MAP Express — 30 December 2024; 17 July 2025.
• Hespress FR — 9 September 2025; 25 November 2025; 31 December 2025; 5 April 2026; 17 April 2026; 1 May 2026; 13 May 2026; 14 July 2026; 28 July 2026.
• Médias24 — 8 June 2026 and 30 July 2026 (reform postponed to the next government).
• Bank Al-Maghrib — 2025 Financial Stability Report (July 2026), via press coverage.

Article based on official public data + wafir.ma expert sources. All cited statistics are verifiable with the mentioned organizations.