2024 Edition Primary

Background

Many empires have controlled Tunisia, including the Phoenicians (as early as the 12 century B.C.), Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, various Arab and Berber kingdoms, and Ottomans (16th to late-19th centuries). 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 after World War I finally convinced 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. In 1987, Zine el Abidine BEN ALI replaced BOURGUIBA in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths and later became known as the start of the regional Arab Spring uprising. BEN ALI dismissed the government and fled the country, and a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held later that year, and human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI was elected as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in 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. After ESSEBSI’s death in office in 2019, Kais SAIED was elected. SAIED's term, as well as that of Tunisia's 217-member parliament, was set to expire in 2024. However, in 2021, SAIED used the exceptional powers allowed under Tunisia's constitution to dismiss the prime minister and suspend the legislature. Tunisians approved a new constitution through public referendum in 2022, expanding presidential powers and creating a new bicameral legislature. 

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

highest point

Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

lowest point

Shatt al Gharsah -17 m

mean elevation

246 m

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

3,920 sq km (2013)

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 1,034 km; Libya 461 km

total

1,495 km

Land use

agricultural land

64.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.)

forest

6.6% (2018 est.)

other

28.6% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

North Western Sahara Aquifer System

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

24.4% (male 1,516,871/female 1,426,522)

15-64 years

65.2% (male 3,861,731/female 3,990,802)

65 years and over

10.4% (2024 est.) (male 593,640/female 659,281)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

13.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

1.5% (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.6% (2018)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

50.7% (2018)

Current health expenditure

6.3% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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 in 2022. 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

13.3

potential support ratio

7.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.9

youth dependency ratio

36.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 97.3% of population

improved: total

total: 99.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 2.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

7.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.94 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

9.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

12.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، أحسن كتاب تتعلم به المعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

note

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

79.1 years

male

75.7 years

total population

77.3 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.7% (2021)

male

89.1%

total population

82.7%

Major urban areas - population

2.475 million TUNIS (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

37 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

35.1 years

male

33.6 years

total

34.4 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Tunisian

noun

Tunisian(s)

Net migration rate

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26.9% (2016)

Physician density

1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

6,076,605 (2024 est.)

male

5,972,242

total

12,048,847

Population distribution

the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

0.58% (2024 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official; Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) <1%

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 99.4% of population

improved: total

total: 99% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2016)

male

14 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.9 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

2% (2020 est.)

male

47.2% (2020 est.)

total

24.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

70.5% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

three possibilities exist for the derivation of the name; originally a Berber settlement (earliest reference 4th century B.C.), the strategic site fell to the Carthaginians (Phoenicians) and the city could be named after the Punic goddess Tanit, since many ancient cities were named after patron deities; alternatively, the Berber root word "ens," which means "to lie down" or "to pass the night," may indicate that the site was originally a camp or rest stop; finally, the name may be the same as the city of Tynes, mentioned in the writings of some ancient authors

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 the Assembly of the Representatives of the People membership; following review by the Constitutional Court, approval to proceed requires an absolute majority vote by the Assembly and final passage requires a two-thirds Assembly majority vote; the president can opt to submit an amendment to a referendum, which requires an absolute majority of votes cast for passage

history

several previous; latest - draft published by the president 30 June 2022, approved by referendum 25 July 2022, and adopted 27 July 2022

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 Joey HOOD (since 2 February 2023)

email address and website

tuniswebsitecontact@state.govhttps://tn.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Les Berges du Lac, 1053 Tunis

FAX

[216] 71-107-090

mailing address

6360 Tunis Place, Washington DC  20521-6360

telephone

[216] 71-107-000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Hanene TAJOURI BESSASSI (since 1 December 2021)

email address and website

AT.Washington@Tunisiaembassy.orghttps://www.tunisianembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 862-1858

telephone

[1] (202) 862-1850

Executive branch

cabinet

prime minister appointed by the president; cabinet members appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister

chief of state

President Kais SAIED (since 23 October 2019)

election results

2024: Kais SAIED reelected president in first round - Kais SAIED (independent) 90.7%, Ayachi ZAMMEL (Long Live Tunisia) 7.3%, Zouhair MAGHZAOUI (People's Movement) 2%2019: Kais SAIED elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Kais SAIED (independent) 18.4%, Nabil KAROUI (Heart of Tunisia) 15.6%, Abdelfattah MOUROU (Nahda Movement) 12.9%, Abdelkrim ZBIDI (independent) 10.7%, Youssef CHAHED (Long Live Tunisia) 7.4%, Safi SAID (independent) 7.1%, Lotfi MRAIHI (Republican People's Union) 6.6%, other 21.3%; percent of vote in second round - Kais SAIED 72.7%, Nabil KAROUI 27.3% 

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); last held on 6 October 2024 (next to be held in 2029)

head of government

Prime Minister Kamel MADDOURI (since 7 August 2024); President Kais SAIED dismissed Prime Minister Ahmed HACHANI the same day he appointed Kamel MADDOURI

note

note: the president can dismiss any member of government on his own initiative or in consultation with the prime minister

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

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, AIIB, 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, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Cassation (consists of the first president, chamber presidents, and magistrates and organized into 27 civil and 11 criminal chambers)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council, an independent 4-part body consisting mainly of elected judges and the remainder legal specialists; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; Constitutional Court (established in the 2014 and 2022 constitutions, but inception has been delayed; note - in mid-February 2022, President SAIED dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and replaced it with an interim council in early March 2022

note

note: the Tunisian constitution of January 2014 called for the establishment of a constitutional court by the end of 2015, but the court was never formed; the new constitution of July 2022 calls for the establishment of a constitutional court consisting of 9 members appointed by presidential decree; members to include former senior judges of other courts

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 (sharia) law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Legislative branch

description

bicameral legislature (enacted by the 2022 constitution) consists of:newly added National Council of Regions and Districts (Le Conseil national des régions et des districts) (77 seats; members indirectly elected by regional and district councils; members of each Regional Council elect 3 members among themselves to the National Council; each District Council elects 1 member among themselves to the National Council; members serve 5-year term)Assembly of the People's Representatives (161 seats; 151 members in single seat constituencies and 10 members from Tunisian diaspora directly elected by majoritarian two-round voting system; all members serve 5-year terms)

election results

National Council of Regions and Districts - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party NAAssembly of Representatives of the People - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party NA

elections

National Council of Regions and Districts - last held on 18 April 2024 for 279 local councils, which indirectly elect the National Council (next to be held in 2029)Assembly of Representatives of the People - last held on 17 December 2022 with a runoff on 29 January 2023 (next to be held in late 2027)

note

note: in 2022, President SAIED issued a new electoral law that requires all legislative candidates to run as independents

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland)

note

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

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Amphitheatre of El Jem (c); Archaeological Site of Carthage (c); Medina of Tunis (c); Ichkeul National Park (n); Punic Town of Kerkuane (c); Kairouan (c); Medina of Sousse (c); Dougga / Thugga (c); Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory (c)

total World Heritage Sites

9 (8 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

encircled red crescent moon and five-pointed star; national colors: red, white

Political parties

Afek TounesAl Badil Al-Tounisi (The Tunisian Alternative)Al-Amal PartyCall for Tunisia Party (Nidaa Tounes)Current of Love (formerly the Popular Petition party)Democratic CurrentDemocratic Patriots' Unified PartyDignity Coalition or Al Karama CoalitionEnnahda Movement (The Renaissance)Ettakatol PartyFree Destourian Party or PDLGreen Tunisia PartyHarakat HakHeart of Tunisia (Qalb Tounes)July 25 MovementLabor and Achievement PartyLong Live Tunisia (Tahya Tounes)Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDSNational Coalition PartyNational Salvation FrontNew Carthage PartyParty of the Democratic Arab VanguardPeople's MovementRepublican Party (Al Joumhouri)The Movement Party (Hizb Harak)Third Republic PartyTunisian Ba'ath MovementVoice of the RepublicWorkers' Party

note

note: President SAIED in 2022 issued a decree that forbids political parties' participation in legislative elections; although parties remain a facet of Tunisian political life, they have lost significant influence

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

Agricultural products

milk, olives, tomatoes, wheat, barley, watermelons, chilies/peppers, potatoes, dates, oranges (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

23.1% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$12.375 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$10.866 billion (2019 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2020)

Moody's rating

B2 (2018)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

N/A (2013)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$2.524 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.79 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$4.018 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$18.169 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

lower middle-income North African economy; drafting reforms for foreign lenders; high unemployment, especially for youth and women; hit hard by COVID-19; high public sector wages; high public debt; protectionist austerity measures; key EU trade partner

Exchange rates

Currency

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

2.934 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2.812 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.794 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

3.104 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3.106 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$11.237 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$14.054 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$17.258 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

garments, insulated wire, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, pure olive oil (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

France 22%, Italy 16%, Germany 14%, Spain 4%, Libya 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

51.1% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.6% (2023 est.)

household consumption

78% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-58.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.9% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-3.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

9.5% (2023 est.)

industry

23.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

62.1% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$48.53 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

33.7 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3.1% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2020

$14.574 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$18.198 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$22.5 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, plastic products, wheat, cars (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Italy 14%, France 14%, China 9%, Germany 7%, Turkey 6% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-1.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.71% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.31% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.33% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

4.445 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

16.6% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

70.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$149.106 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$152.988 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$153.637 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.61% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.6% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.42% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$12,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$12,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$12,300 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

6.34% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

6.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

5.56% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$8.846 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$8.094 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$9.24 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

16.51% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

15.3% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

15.11% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

35.6% (2023 est.)

male

38.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

37.5% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

5,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

10.437 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

13.203 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

23.645 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

2,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

2,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

19.061 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

154 million kWh (2022 est.)

imports

2.726 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

6.328 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.722 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.7%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

96.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

1.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

1.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

33.641 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

5.153 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

3.898 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

1.323 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

65.129 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

425 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

108,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

35,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2020 est.)

total

1,334,059 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 state-owned TV stations; 10 private TV stations broadcast locally; satellite TV service is available; state-owned radio network with 2 stations; several dozen private radio stations and community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)

Internet country code

.tn

Internet users

percent of population

79% (2021 est.)

total

9.48 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is nearly 14 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 129 telephones per 100 persons (2022)

general assessment

Tunisia has one of the most sophisticated telecom infrastructures in North Africa; penetration rates for mobile and Internet services are among the highest in the region; government program of regulation and infrastructure projects aims to improve Internet connectivity to underserved areas; operators built extensive LTE infrastructure in 2019, and continue to discuss plans for future 5G networks and services; one operator has signed an agreement to pursue nano-satellite launches in 2023; internet censorship abolished, though concerns of government surveillance remain; legislation passed in 2017 supporting e-commerce and active e-government; importer of some integrated circuits and broadcasting equipment (including radio, television, and communications transmitters) from the PRC (2022)

international

country code - 216; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-4, Didon, HANNIBAL System and Trapani-Kelibia submarine cable systems that provides links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Southeast 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 (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

14 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

1.79 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

129 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

15.971 million (2022 est.)

Airports

14 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TS

Heliports

11 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 1, general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 62

total

72 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

13.23 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

4,274,199 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

53

number of registered air carriers

7 (2020)

Pipelines

68 km condensate, 3,111 km gas, 1,381 km oil, 453 km refined products (2013)

Ports

key ports

Ashtart Oil Terminal, Banzart, Didon Terminal, Gabes, La Goulette, Menzel Bourguiba, Mersa Sfax, Sousse, Tazerka Oil Terminal, Tunis

medium

3

ports with oil terminals

10

small

7

total ports

16 (2024)

very small

6

Railways

dual gauge

8 km (2014) 1.435-1.000-m gauge

narrow gauge

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

standard gauge

471 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

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

Roadways

paved

12,264 km

total

32,332 km

unpaved

20,068 km (2020)

Military - note

the FAT is responsible for territorial defense and internal security; its operational areas of focus are countering Islamist terrorist groups and assisting with securing the border; areas of focus include security operations in the mountainous regions along the Algerian border where smuggling and criminal activity has occurred and militants linked to the al-Qa'ida and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham terrorist groups have been active; the military has the lead for security operations in the area and has conducted joint operations with Algerian security forces; the FAT in recent years also has increased its role in securing the southern border with Libya against terrorist activity and infiltrators, criminal gangs, smuggling, and trafficking; in the remote areas of the border with Libya, buffer/exclusion zones have also been established where the military has the lead for security and counter-terrorism operations; outside of these border areas, the Ministry of Interior has responsibility the FAT conducts bilateral and multinational training exercises with a variety of countries, including Algeria and other North African and Middle Eastern countries, France, and the US, as well as NATO; it also participates in UN peacekeeping operations; Tunisia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation (2024)

Military and security forces

Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Tunisiennes, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Tunisia Air ForceMinistry of Interior (MoI): National Police, National Guard (2024)

note

note: the National Police has primary responsibility for law enforcement in the major cities, while the National Guard (gendarmerie) oversees border security and patrols smaller towns and rural areas; the National Police Anti-Terrorism Brigade and the National Guard Special Unit have the lead for MOI counterterrorism operations 

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 35,000 active-duty personnel (25,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force); estimated 10,000 National Guard (2023)

Military deployments

775 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Tunisian military's inventory consists mostly of older or second-hand equipment from a wide variety of suppliers, including Brazil, China, Turkey, and the US, as well as several European countries, such as France, Germany, and Italy (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

3.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-23 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; 20-23 years of age for compulsory service for men with a 12-month service obligation; individuals engaged in higher education or vocational training programs prior to their military drafting are allowed to delay service until they have completed their programs (up to age 35); exemptions allowed for males considered to a family's sole provider;  (2023)

note

note: women have been allowed in the service since 1975 as volunteers; as of 2023, women constituted about 8% of the military and served in all three services

Illicit drugs

NA

Terrorist group(s)

Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) network in Tunisia (known locally as Ajnad al-Khilafah or the Army of the Caliphate); al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

29.94 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

7.89 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

26.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land

64.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.)

forest

6.6% (2018 est.)

other

28.6% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

North Western Sahara Aquifer System

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.21% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

4.62 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

2.71 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

820 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

70.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.7 million tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

108,000 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

4% (2014 est.)