The Nekor Watershed, situated in the northwest corner of Africa, experiences significant climatic variability, posing challenges for water management. This study assesses hydrological drought in the Nekor Watershed from 1945 to 2016 and analyzes its socio-economic impacts on agriculture and population distribution. The purpose of this research is to understand the extent and trends of hydrological drought in the Nekor Watershed and its socio-economic consequences, particularly on agriculture and population dynamics. The study employs the Standardized Runoff Efficiency Index (SDI), drought duration, severity (S), magnitude (M), and relative frequency (RF) metrics, along with the Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen's Slope analysis to evaluate hydrological drought. It integrates statistically representative data on cereal crop yields, livestock populations, and results from the General Population and Housing Census to understand the socio-economic impacts. Analysis reveals substantial climatic variability with pronounced dry and wet periods. Notably, the autumn season exhibits a weak positive trend in hydrological drought, indicating a slight increase in severity over the years. Conversely, the spring season shows a negative trend in hydrological drought, indicating a decrease in severity over the years, especially in the month of May. A broader trend towards increasing hydrological drought emerges, particularly since the 1980s. These dry decades pose significant challenges for the region's socio-economic sectors, including agriculture and population distribution. The study is limited by the availability and quality of historical hydrological and socio-economic data, which may affect the precision of trend analyses and impact assessments. Future research could benefit from more granular and continuous data sets. Understanding the trends and impacts of hydrological drought in the Nekor Watershed provides critical insights for water management policies and strategies, helping to mitigate socio-economic risks associated with drought. This study is novel in its comprehensive analysis of long-term hydrological drought trends in the Nekor Watershed and their socio-economic impacts. The integration of diverse data sets and advanced statistical methods enhances the robustness of the findings, contributing significantly to the scientific understanding of drought dynamics in this region.