The Justice and Development Party (PJD) has sharply criticized the Moroccan government, relying on a controversial ranking from Numbeo, despite previous warnings from the Ministry of Health about the site's reliability. The move raises questions about the PJD's selective use of data, especially given that the party itself had once denounced Numbeo's methodology while in power. When it comes to attacking the government, the source or accuracy of the data no longer seems to matter. This is evident in the Justice and Development Party's recent criticism of the government's healthcare performance, based on a questionable ranking derived from the opinions of a small group of internet users. Despite its own extensive experience in public governance, the party ignored credible reports from official Moroccan and international institutions, such as Bank Al-Maghrib, the High Commission for Planning, the Court of Auditors, and the WHO, which, backed by rigorous methodology and field data, have themselves pointed to the government's shortcomings. Instead, the PJD chose to rely on the «Health Care Index by Country 2025», published by Numbeo, a platform whose credibility is highly disputed. In a lengthy article published on its website, the opposition party claimed that «despite the Akhannouch government's social-state rhetoric», Morocco ranked 94th out of 99 countries. It attempted to legitimize the ranking by describing Numbeo as «a site specializing in data analysis and international surveys», in an effort to lend credibility to its findings. The party went on to describe Morocco's position at the bottom of the African healthcare rankings as «alarming», noting that Rabat and Casablanca ranked 303rd and 310th, respectively, in terms of healthcare quality. The Truth Behind the Ranking Numbeo, the platform the PJD relied on, was founded in 2009 by Serbian national Mladen Adamovic and is registered in Serbia. The site openly admits that «the structure of the project allows anyone with an Internet connection to modify its content», and warns that «nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information. Use our content at your own risk». It further adds: «We do not provide any warranties that our services will meet your requirements, be uninterrupted, timely, accurate, or error-free, or that your information will be secure», and makes clear that «there is absolutely no assurance that any statement on the website is correct or precise». A closer look at the site reveals the weakness of its methodology. A single user can skew a city or country's overall rating simply by submitting multiple opinions. For instance, Rabat's healthcare rating was based on only 30 users, and Casablanca's on just 67, while Kaohsiung, Taiwan topped the global list based on only 47 submissions. Shifting Positions Ironically, back in 2019, when the PJD held the Ministry of Health under Saad Eddine El Othmani's leadership, it had firmly criticized Moroccan media for citing Numbeo's rankings. In an official statement at the time, the ministry dismissed the site's methodology, saying it lacked «scientific accuracy, sound methodology, and the standards used by recognized international institutions». The ministry stated that the rankings «were based on a small, unrepresentative sample, no more than 100 visitors to the site, and could not be used to evaluate national healthcare systems». It also warned media outlets to treat Numbeo's data with caution, describing it as «misleading and unaffiliated with any recognized international statistical health organization».
