2018 Edition

Background

Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in convincing the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Parliamentary and presidential elections for a permanent government were held at the end of 2014. Beji CAID ESSEBSI was elected as the first president under the country's new constitution. CAID ESSEBSI’s term, as well as that of Tunisia’s 217-member Parliament, expires in 2019.

Area

land

155,360 sq km

total

163,610 sq km

water

8,250 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly larger than Georgia

Climate

temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Coastline

1,148 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

-17 m lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah

mean elevation

246 m

note

1544 highest point: Jebel ech Chambi

Environment Current Issues

toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Geographic Coordinates

34 00 N, 9 00 E

Geography Note

strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Irrigated Land

4,590 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (2)

Algeria 1034 km, Libya 461 km

total

1,495 km

Land Use

arable land: 18.3% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 15.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 31.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

64.8% (2011 est.)

forest

6.6% (2011 est.)

other

28.6% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

flooding; earthquakes; droughts

Natural Resources

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Population Distribution

the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated

Terrain

mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

Age Structure

0-14 years

25.25% (male 1,502,655 /female 1,405,310)

15-24 years

13.53% (male 787,178 /female 770,929)

25-54 years

43.25% (male 2,426,011 /female 2,554,253)

55-64 years

9.75% (male 560,233 /female 562,436)

65 years and over

8.22% (male 448,784 /female 498,400) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

17.4 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

2.3% (2012)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

62.5% (2011/12)

Death Rate

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

The Tunisian Government took steps in the 1960s to decrease population growth and gender inequality in order to improve socioeconomic development. Through its introduction of a national family planning program (the first in Africa) and by raising the legal age of marriage, Tunisia rapidly reduced its total fertility rate from about 7 children per woman in 1960 to 2 today. Unlike many of its North African and Middle Eastern neighbors, Tunisia will soon be shifting from being a youth-bulge country to having a transitional age structure, characterized by lower fertility and mortality rates, a slower population growth rate, a rising median age, and a longer average life expectancy.Currently, the sizable young working-age population is straining Tunisia’s labor market and education and health care systems. Persistent high unemployment among Tunisia’s growing workforce, particularly its increasing number of university graduates and women, was a key factor in the uprisings that led to the overthrow of the BEN ALI regime in 2011. In the near term, Tunisia’s large number of jobless young, working-age adults; deficiencies in primary and secondary education; and the ongoing lack of job creation and skills mismatches could contribute to future unrest. In the longer term, a sustained low fertility rate will shrink future youth cohorts and alleviate demographic pressure on Tunisia’s labor market, but employment and education hurdles will still need to be addressed.Tunisia has a history of labor emigration. In the 1960s, workers migrated to European countries to escape poor economic conditions and to fill Europe’s need for low-skilled labor in construction and manufacturing. The Tunisian Government signed bilateral labor agreements with France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands, with the expectation that Tunisian workers would eventually return home. At the same time, growing numbers of Tunisians headed to Libya, often illegally, to work in the expanding oil industry. In the mid-1970s, with European countries beginning to restrict immigration and Tunisian-Libyan tensions brewing, Tunisian economic migrants turned toward the Gulf countries. After mass expulsions from Libya in 1983, Tunisian migrants increasingly sought family reunification in Europe or moved illegally to southern Europe, while Tunisia itself developed into a transit point for sub-Saharan migrants heading to Europe.Following the ousting of BEN ALI in 2011, the illegal migration of unemployed Tunisian youths to Italy and onward to France soared into the tens of thousands. Thousands more Tunisian and foreign workers escaping civil war in Libya flooded into Tunisia and joined the exodus. A readmission agreement signed by Italy and Tunisia in April 2011 helped stem the outflow, leaving Tunisia and international organizations to repatriate, resettle, or accommodate some 1 million Libyans and third-country nationals.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.1 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

9 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

45.6 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

34.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 93.2% of population

total: 97.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 6.8% of population

total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic Groups

Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Health Expenditures

7% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

<.1% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<200 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

3,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

12.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce), Berber (Tamazight)

note

despite having no official status, French plays a major role in the country and is spoken by about two-thirds of the population

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

77.6 years (2018 est.)

male

74.3 years (2018 est.)

total population

75.9 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

74.2% (2015 est.)

male

89.6% (2015 est.)

total population

81.8% (2015 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

2.291 million TUNIS (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

62 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

32.5 years (2018 est.)

male

31.3 years

total

32 years

Nationality

adjective

Tunisian

noun

Tunisian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

26.9% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.29 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

11,516,189 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.95% (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official; Sunni) 99.1%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) 1%

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 97.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 79.8% of population (2015 est.)

total: 91.6% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 2.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 20.2% of population (2015 est.)

total: 8.4% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

NA (2015)

male

NA (2015)

total

15 years (2015)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.17 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

37.7% (2013 est.)

male

33.4% (2013 est.)

total

34.7% (2013 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.53% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

68.9% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

24 governorates (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), L'Ariana (Aryanah), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Capital

geographic coordinates

36 48 N, 10 11 E

name

Tunis

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Tunisia

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by one-third of members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People; following review by the Constitutional Court, approval to proceed requires an absolute majority vote by the Assembly and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the president can opt to submit an amendment to a referendum, which requires an absolute majority of votes cast for passage (2017)

history

several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014, signed by the president, prime minister, and Constituent Assembly speaker 27 January 2014 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Republic of Tunisia

conventional short form

Tunisia

etymology

the country name derives from the capital city of Tunis

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

local short form

Tunis

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Daniel H. RUBINSTEIN (since 26 October 2015)

embassy

Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053

FAX

[216] 71 107-090

mailing address

Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053

telephone

[216] 71 107-000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Faycal GOUIA (since 18 May 2015)

FAX

[1] (202) 862-1858

telephone

[1] (202) 862-1850

Executive Branch

cabinet

selected by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly of the Representatives of the People

chief of state

President Beji CAID ESSEBSI (since 31 December 2014)

election results

Beji CAID ESSEBSI elected president in second round; percent of vote - Beji CAID ESSEBSI (Call for Tunisia Party) 55.7%, Moncef MARZOUKI (CPR) 44.3%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 November with a runoff on 21 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); following legislative elections, the prime minister is selected by the majority party or majority coalition and appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Youssef CHAHED (since 27 August 2016)

Flag Description

red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

note

the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire

Government Type

parliamentary republic

Independence

20 March 1956 (from France)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (organized into 1 civil and 3 criminal chambers); Constitutional Court (established in 2014, but remained vacant as of late 2018)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), an independent 4-part body consisting mainly of elected judges and the remainder legal specialists; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; Constitutional Court NA

note

the new Tunisian constitution of January 2014 called for the creation of a constitutional court by the end of 2015, but as of November 2018, the court had not been appointed; the court will consist of 12 members - 4 each appointed by the president, SJC, and the Chamber of the People's Deputies (parliament); members will serve 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; administrative courts; Court of Audit; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Legislative Branch

description

unicameral Assembly of the Representatives of the People or Majlis Nuwwab ash-Sha'b (Assemblee des representants du peuple) (217 seats; 199 members directly elected in Tunisian multi-seat constituencies and 18 members in multi-seat constituencies abroad by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - Call for Tunisia 37.6%, Ennahdha 27.8%, UPL 4.1%, Popular Front 3.6%, Afek Tounes 3%, CPR 2.1%, other 21.8%; seats by party - Call to Tunisia 86, Nahda 69, UPL 16, Popular Front 15, Afek Tounes 8, CPR 4, other 17, independent 2; composition - men 149, women 68, percent of women 31.3%

elections

initial election held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

note

in August 2018, Prime Minister CHAHED left the Nidaa Tounes party and began building the "National Coalition" bloc, partnering with the al-Nadha party to form a parliamentary majority; percent of vote by party as of November 2018 - al-Nadha 30.9%, Nidaa Tounes 21.2%, National Coalition 20.3%, Popular Front 6.9%, Machrou Tounes' Al-Horrah Bloc 6.9%, Democratic Bloc 5.5%, Loyalty to the Nation Bloc 5.1%, independent 3.2%; seats by party as of November 2018 - al-Nadha 67, Nidaa Tounes 46, National Coalition 44, Popular Front 15, Machrou Tounes' Al-Horrah Bloc 15, Democratic Bloc 12, Loyalty to the Nation Bloc 11, indpendent 7

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB

name

"Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland)

note

adopted 1957, replaced 1958, restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates

National Holiday

Independence Day, 20 March (1956)Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)

National Symbol S

encircled red star and crescent; national colors: red, white

Political Parties And Leaders

Afek Tounes [Yassine BRAHIM]Al Badil Al-Tounisi (The Tunisian Alternative) [Mehdi JOMAA]Call for Tunisia (Nidaa Tounes) [Hafedh CAID ESSEBSI]Congress for the Republic or CPR [Imed DAIMI]Current of Love [Hachemi HAMDI] (formerly the Popular Petition party)Democratic Alliance Party [Mohamed HAMDI]Democratic Current [Mohamed ABBOU]Democratic Patriots' Unified Party [Zied LAKHDHAR]Free Patriotic Union or UPL (Union patriotique libre) [Slim RIAHI]Green Tunisia Party [Abdelkader ZITOUNI]Machrou Tounes (Tunisia Project) [Mohsen MARZOUK]Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ahmed KHASKHOUSSI]Nahda Movement (The Renaissance) [Rachid GHANNOUCHI]National Destourian Initiative or El Moubadra [Kamel MORJANE]Party of the Democratic Arab Vanguard [Ahmed JEDDICK, Kheireddine SOUABNI]People's Movement [Zouheir MAGHZAOUI]Popular Front (coalition includes Democratic Patriots' Unified Party, Workers' Party, Green Tunisia, Tunisian Ba'ath Movement, and Party of the Democratic Arab Vanguard)Republican Party [Maya JRIBI]Tunisian Ba'ath Movement [OMAR Othman BELHADJ]Tunisia First (Tunis Awlan) [Ridha BELHAJ]Workers' Party [Hamma HAMMAMI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months

Agriculture Products

olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

Budget

expenditures

12.21 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

9.876 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-5.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

5.75% (31 December 2010)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

7.31% (31 December 2016 est.)

6.76% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$4.191 billion (2017 est.)

-$3.694 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$30.19 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$28.95 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

40 (2005 est.)

41.7 (1995 est.)

Economy Overview

Tunisia's economy – structurally designed to favor vested interests – faced an array of challenges exposed by the 2008 global financial crisis that helped precipitate the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. After the revolution and a series of terrorist attacks, including on the country’s tourism sector, barriers to economic inclusion continued to add to slow economic growth and high unemployment.Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia focused on bolstering exports, foreign investment, and tourism, all of which have become central to the country's economy. Key exports now include textiles and apparel, food products, petroleum products, chemicals, and phosphates, with about 80% of exports bound for Tunisia's main economic partner, the EU. Tunisia's strategy, coupled with investments in education and infrastructure, fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improved living standards. Former President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (1987-2011) continued these policies, but as his reign wore on cronyism and corruption stymied economic performance, unemployment rose, and the informal economy grew. Tunisia’s economy became less and less inclusive. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI, further depressing Tunisia's economy as tourism and investment declined sharply.Tunisia’s government remains under pressure to boost economic growth quickly to mitigate chronic socio-economic challenges, especially high levels of youth unemployment, which has persisted since the 2011 revolution. Successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector, which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP, slowed growth from 2015 to 2017. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with the IMF through an Extended Fund Facility agreement to fix fiscal deficiencies.

Exchange Rates

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -

2.48 (2017 est.)

2.148 (2016 est.)

2.148 (2015 est.)

1.9617 (2014 est.)

1.6976 (2013 est.)

Exports

$13.82 billion (2017 est.)

$13.57 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment

Exports Partners

France 32.1%, Italy 17.3%, Germany 12.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

43.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

71.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-55.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

10.1% (2017 est.)

industry

26.2% (2017 est.)

services

63.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$39.96 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$11,900 (2017 est.)

$11,800 (2016 est.)

$11,800 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$137.7 billion (2017 est.)

$135 billion (2016 est.)

$133.5 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

2% (2017 est.)

1.1% (2016 est.)

1.2% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

12% of GDP (2017 est.)

13.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

12.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

27% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%

27% (2010 est.)

Imports

$19.09 billion (2017 est.)

$18.37 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports Partners

Italy 15.8%, France 15.1%, China 9.2%, Germany 8.1%, Turkey 4.8%, Algeria 4.7%, Spain 4.5% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

0.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate, iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

5.3% (2017 est.)

3.7% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

4.054 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

14.8%

industry

33.2%

services

51.7% (2014 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$8.887 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$9.662 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$10.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

15.5% (2010 est.)

Public Debt

70.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

62.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$5.594 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$5.941 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$12.92 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$11.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$285 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$285 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$37.95 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$37.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$36.19 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$34.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$12.92 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$11.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

24.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

15.5% (2017 est.)

15.5% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

23.42 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

39,980 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

17,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

49,170 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

425 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

15.27 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

500 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

94% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

134 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

5.768 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

18.44 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

5.125 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

3.851 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

1.274 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

102,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

13,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

85,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

27,770 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2017 est.)

total

801,785 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

broadcast media is mainly government-controlled; the state-run Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates 2 national TV networks, several national radio networks, and a number of regional radio stations; 1 TV and 3 radio stations are privately owned and report domestic news stories directly from the official Tunisian news agency; the state retains control of broadcast facilities and transmitters through L'Office National de la Telediffusion; Tunisians also have access to Egyptian, pan-Arab, and European satellite TV channels (2007)

Internet Country Code

.tn

Internet Users

percent of population

50.9% (July 2016 est.)

total

5,665,242 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

in an effort to jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network, the government awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; rural areas are served by wireless local loops; competition between several mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in subscribership; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached about 135 telephones per 100 persons (2016)

general assessment

above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; telephone network is completely digitized; Internet access available throughout the country (2016)

international

country code - 216; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

1,113,168 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

126 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

14,334,080 (2017 est.)

Airports

29 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

6 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

3 (2013)

over 3,047 m

4 (2013)

total

15 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

5 (2013)

total

14 (2013)

under 914 m

8 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

TS (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

general cargo 13, oil tanker 1, other 48 (2017)

total

62 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

10,354,241 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

3,496,190 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

41 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

3 (2015)

Pipelines

68 km condensate, 3111 km gas, 1381 km oil, 453 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s)

Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Railways

dual gauge

8 km 1.435-1.000-m gauge (2014)

narrow gauge

1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014)

standard gauge

471 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

2,173 km (1,991 in use) (2014)

Roadways

paved

14,756 km (includes 357 km of expressways) (2010)

total

19,418 km (2010)

unpaved

4,662 km (2010)

Military Branches

Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Tunisiens, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Tunisian Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'Tunisia) (2012)

Military Expenditures

2.03% of GDP (2017)

2.32% of GDP (2016)

2.27% of GDP (2015)

1.91% of GDP (2014)

1.64% of GDP (2013)

Military Service Age And Obligation

20-23 years of age for compulsory service, 1-year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; Tunisian nationality required (2012)

Disputes International

none

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Tunisia is a source, destination, and possible transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Tunisia’s increased number of street children, rural children working to support their families, and migrants who have fled unrest in neighboring countries are vulnerable to human trafficking; organized gangs force street children to serve as thieves, beggars, and drug transporters; Tunisian women have been forced into prostitution domestically and elsewhere in the region under false promises of legitimate work; East and West African women may be subjected to forced labor as domestic workers

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Tunisia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Tunisia was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; in early 2015, the government drafted a national anti-trafficking action plan outlining proposals to raise awareness and enact draft anti-trafficking legislation; authorities did not provide data on the prosecution and conviction of offenders but reportedly identified 24 victims, as opposed to none in 2013, and operated facilities specifically dedicated to trafficking victims, regardless of nationality and gender; the government did not fully implement its national victim referral mechanism; some unidentified victims were not protected from punishment for unlawful acts directly resulting from being trafficked (2015)

Terrorist Groups Home Based

al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

aim(s): overthrow various African regimes and replace them with one ruled by sharia; establish a regional Islamic caliphate across all of North and West Africaarea(s) of operation: leadership headquartered in Algeria; operates in Tunisia and Libyanote: al-Qa'ida's affiliate in North Africa; Tunisia-based branch known as the Uqbah bin Nafi Battalion; Mali-based cadre merged with allies to form JNIM in March 2017, which pledged allegiance to AQIM and al-Qa'ida (April 2018)

Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AAS-T)

aim(s): expand its influence in Tunisia and, ultimately, replace the Tunisian Government with shariaarea(s) of operation: headquartered in Tunisia; members instigate riots and violent demonstrations and engage in attacks, targeting Tunisian military and security personnel, Tunisian politicians, religious sites, and Western interests (April 2018)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) network in Tunisia (to include pro-ISIS cells and designated Jund al-Khilafah (JAK-T))

aim(s): replace the Tunisian Government with an Islamic state and implement ISIS's strict interpretation of shariaarea(s) of operation: Tunisian ISIS fighters stage attacks just across the border in Libya against government facilities and personnel and foreign tourists in Tunisia (April 2018)