Statistical information Tunisia 2017
Tunisia in the World
Tunisia - Introduction 2017
top of pageBackground: 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. In 2016 the new unity government continued to seek to balance political cohesion with economic and social pressures.
Tunisia - Geography 2017
top of pageLocation: Northern Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Libya
Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N 9 00 E
Map reference: Africa
Area
Total: 163,610 km²
Land: 155,360 km²
Water: 8,250 km²
Rank: 94
Comparative: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries
Total: 1495 km
Border countries: (2) Algeria 1034 km; Libya 461 km
Coastline: 1148 km
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 12 nm
Climate: temperate in north with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers; desert in south
Terrain: mountains in north; hot dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Elevation
Mean elevation: 246 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m: highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1544 m
Natural resources: petroleum phosphates iron ore lead zinc salt
Land use
Land use
Agricultural land: 64.8%
arable land: 18.3%
permanent crops: 15.4%
permanent pasture: 31.1%
permanent crops: 15.4%
permanent pasture: 31.1%
Forest: 6.6%
Other: 28.6%
Irrigated land: 4,590 km² (2012)
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards: flooding; earthquakes; droughts
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
Tunisia - People 2017
top of pagePopulation
Distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated: 11,403,800 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 79
Growth rate: 1.01% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 109
Below poverty line: 15.5% (2010 est.)
Nationality
Noun: Tunisian
Adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic groups: Arab 98% European 1% Jewish and other 1%
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
Religions: Muslim (official; Sunni) 99.1% other (includes Christian Jewish Shia Muslim and Baha'i) 1%
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.
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.
Age structure
Age structure
0-14 years: 25.15%
15-24 years: 13.99%
25-54 years: 43.38%
55-64 years: 9.54%
65 years and over: 7.95% (2017 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 45.6
Youth dependency ratio: 34.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 11.1
Potential support ratio: 9
Median age
Total: 31.6 years
Male: 31 years
Female: 32.2 years
Rank: 97
Population growth rate: 1.01% (2017 est.)
Rank: 109
Birth rate: 18.2 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 95
Death rate: 6.3 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 151
Net migration rate: -1.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 154
Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated
Urbanization
Urban population: 67.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.28% annual rate of change
Major urban areas
Population: TUNIS (capital) 1.993 million (2015)
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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male/female
55-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 13.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.8 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 119
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.7 years
Male: 74.1 years
Female: 77.4 years
Rank: 101
Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 97
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 62.5% (2011/12)
Drinking water source:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 93.2% of population
total: 97.7% of population
urban: 0% of population
rural: 6.8% of population
total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 93.2% of population
total: 97.7% of population
urban: 0% of population
rural: 6.8% of population
total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)
Current health expenditure
Physicians density: 1.65 physicians/1000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density: 2.1 beds/1000 population (2012)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 97.4% of population
rural: 79.8% of population
total: 91.6% of population
urban: 2.6% of population
rural: 20.2% of population
total: 8.4% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 79.8% of population
total: 91.6% of population
urban: 2.6% of population
rural: 20.2% of population
total: 8.4% of population (2015 est.)
Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: .1% (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids: 2,900 (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 112
Deaths: 100 (2016 est.)
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 26.9% (2016)
Rank: 40
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.3% (2012)
Rank: 118
Education expenditures: 6.3% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 38
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 81.8%
Male: 89.6%
Female: 74.2%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: NA
Female: NA
Youth unemployment
Tunisia - Government 2017
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
Conventional short form: Tunisia
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
Local short form: Tunis
Etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Tunis
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital
Name: Tunis
Geographic coordinates: 36 48 N 10 11 E
Time difference: UTC+1
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)
Dependent areas
Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day 14 January (2011)
Constitution
History: several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014 signed by the president prime minister and Constituent Assembly speaker 27 January 2014
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
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
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
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
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Beji CAID ESSEBSI
Head of government: Prime Minister Youssef CHAHED
Cabinet: selected by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly of the Representatives of the People
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 23 November and 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
Election results: Beji CAID ESSEBSI elected president; percent of vote in runoff - Beji CAID ESSEBSI 55.7% Moncef MARZOUKI (CPR) 44.3%
Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly of the Representatives of the People or Nuwwab ash-Sha'b (217 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: initial election held on 26 October 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - Call for Tunisia 37.6% Ennahdha 27.8% UPL 4.1% Popular Front 3.6% Afek Tounes 3.0% 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
Judicial branch
Highest court: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation ; Constitutional Court (consists of 12 members)
Note: the new Tunisian constitution of January 2014 called for the creation of a constitutional court by the end of 2015; the court will consist of 12 members - 4 each appointed by the president the Supreme Judicial Council or 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; in late 2015 the International Commission of Jurists called on Tunisia's parliament to revise the draft on the Constitutional Court to ensure compliance with international standards; as of spring 2017 the court had not been appointed
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the SJC; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; Constitutional Court members appointed 3 each by the president of the republic the Chamber of the People's Deputies and the SJC; members 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
Political parties and leaders:
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]
Workers' Party [Hamma HAMMAMI]
Republican Party [Maya JRIBI]
Tunisian Ba'ath Movement [OMAR Othman BELHADJ]
Workers' Party [Hamma HAMMAMI]
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
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Faycal GOUIA
In the us chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] 862-1850
In the us FAX: [1] 862-1858
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel H. RUBINSTEIN
From the us embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
From the us mailing address: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
From the us telephone: [216] 71 107-000
From the us FAX: [216] 71 963-263
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
National symbols: encircled red star and crescent; national colors: red white
National anthem
Name: 'Humat Al Hima'
Lyrics and music: Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
Note: adopted 1957 replaced 1958 restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates
National heritage
Tunisia - Economy 2017
top of pageEconomy overview:
Tunisia's diverse market-oriented economy has long been cited as a success story in Africa and the Middle East but it faces an array of challenges following the 2011 Arab Spring revolution including slow economic growth and high unemployment. Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s Tunisia embarked on a successful strategy 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 liberal 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 and unemployment rose among the country's growing ranks of university graduates. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI sending Tunisia's economy into a tailspin 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 revolution in 2011. Successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP slowed growth to less than 1% of GDP in 2015 and 1.5% in 2016. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with labor unions to limit labor disruption.
Tunisia's liberal 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 and unemployment rose among the country's growing ranks of university graduates. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI sending Tunisia's economy into a tailspin 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 revolution in 2011. Successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP slowed growth to less than 1% of GDP in 2015 and 1.5% in 2016. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with labor unions to limit labor disruption.
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$130.5 billion (2016 est.)
$127.6 billion (2015 est.)
$124.9 billion (2014 est.)
$127.6 billion (2015 est.)
$124.9 billion (2014 est.)
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 81
Real gdp growth rate:
1% (2016 est.)
2.3% (2014 est.)
2.3% (2014 est.)
Rank: 177
Real gdp per capita:
$11,600 (2016 est.)
$11,600 (2015 est.)
$11,600 (2014 est.)
$11,600 (2015 est.)
$11,600 (2014 est.)
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 131
Gross national saving:
13.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
12.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
14% of GDP (2014 est.)
12.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
14% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 101
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 71.1%
Government consumption: 20.1%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.7%
Exports of goods and services: 40.1%
Imports of goods and services: -50.6%
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.9%
Industry: 26.2%
Services: 63.3%
Agriculture products: olives olive oil grain tomatoes citrus fruit sugar beets dates almonds; beef dairy products
Industries: petroleum mining (particularly phosphate iron ore) tourism textiles footwear agribusiness beverages
Industrial production growth rate: -0.6% (2016 est.)
Rank: 164
Labor force: 4.022 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 92
By occupation agriculture: 14.8%
By occupation industry: 33.2%
By occupation services: 51.7%
Labor force
Unemployment rate:
14% (2016 est.)
15.2% (2015 est.)
15.2% (2015 est.)
Rank: 175
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line: 15.5% (2010 est.)
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 27%
Distribution of family income gini index:
40 (2005 est.)
41.7 (1995 est.)
41.7 (1995 est.)
Rank: 63
Budget
Revenues: $9.891 billion
Expenditures: $12.15 billion
Surplus or deficit: -5.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 161
Taxes and other revenues: 23.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 125
Public debt:
62.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
54.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
54.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 69
Revenue
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices:
3.7% (2016 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
Rank: 157
Central bank discount rate: 5.75% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 73
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.31% (31 December 2016 est.)
6.76% (31 December 2013 est.)
6.76% (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 111
Stock of narrow money:
$11.86 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$12.61 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$12.61 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 78
Stock of broad money:
$26.73 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$28.48 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$28.48 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 80
Stock of domestic credit:
$34.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$35.73 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$35.73 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 73
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.)
$9.662 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$10.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 75
Current account balance:
$-3.776 billion (2016 est.)
$-3.85 billion (2015 est.)
$-3.85 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 167
Exports:
$13.57 billion (2016 est.)
$14.16 billion (2015 est.)
$14.16 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 75
Commodities: clothing semi-finished goods and textiles agricultural products mechanical goods phosphates and chemicals hydrocarbons electrical equipment
Partners: France 30.1% Italy 19.3% Germany 10.7% Spain 5.2% Libya 4.3% (2016)
Imports:
$18.37 billion (2016 est.)
$19.1 billion (2015 est.)
$19.1 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 75
Commodities: textiles machinery and equipment hydrocarbons chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: France 18% Italy 14.8% China 8% Germany 7.3% Spain 4.3% Algeria 4.1% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.941 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$7.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$7.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 90
Debt external:
$28.93 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$27.36 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$27.36 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 79
Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
$37.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$36.45 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$36.45 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 63
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
$285 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$285 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$285 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 95
Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -
2.148 (2016 est.)
2.148 (2015 est.)
1.9617 (2014 est.)
1.6976 (2013 est.)
1.56 (2012 est.)
2.148 (2016 est.)
2.148 (2015 est.)
1.9617 (2014 est.)
1.6976 (2013 est.)
1.56 (2012 est.)
Tunisia - Energy 2017
top of pageElectricity
Access electrification total population: 100%
Production: 18.39 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 79
Consumption: 15.12 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 78
Exports: 500 million kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 69
Imports: 403 million kWh (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 85
Installed generating capacity: 5.028 million kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 78
Generation sources fossil fuels: 93.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 57
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 194
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 145
Generation sources other renewable sources: 5.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 92
Coal
Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 48,670 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 57
Crude oil exports: 46,370 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 43
Crude oil imports: 23,600 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 63
Crude oil proven reserves: 425 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 51
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Products production: 34,760 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 86
Products consumption: 98,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 82
Products exports: 16,710 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 73
Products imports: 72,610 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 68
Natural gas
Production: 1.575 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Production rank: 61
Consumption: 7.67 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 60
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 196
Imports: 2.97 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 45
Proven reserves: 65.13 billion m³ (1 January 2017 es)
Proven reserves rank: 60
Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 21 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 81
Energy consumption per capita
Tunisia - Communication 2017
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 974,975
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9
Fixed lines rank: 78
Mobile cellular total: 14,282,078
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 128
Mobile cellular rank: 68
Telephone system
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
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
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 and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches (2016)
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
Users total: 5,665,242
Users percent of population: 50.9%
Users rank: 65
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Tunisia - Military 2017
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
2.32% of GDP (2016)
2.27% of GDP (2015)
1.91% of GDP (2014)
1.64% of GDP (2013)
1.51% of GDP (2012)
2.27% of GDP (2015)
1.91% of GDP (2014)
1.64% of GDP (2013)
1.51% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 57
Military and security forces
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)
Space program
Terrorist groups
Tunisia - Transportation 2017
top of pageNational air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 41
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,496,190
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 10,354,241 mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TS (2016)
Airports: 29 (2013)
Rank: 118
With paved runways total: 15
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways total: 14
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8
Heliports
Pipelines: condensate 68 km; gas 3,111 km; oil 1381 km; refined products 453 km (2013)
Railways
Total: 2,173 km
Standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
Dual gauge: 8 km 1.435-1.000-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1694 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 69
Roadways
Total: 19,418 km
Paved: 14,756 km
Unpaved: 4,662 km
Rank: 112
Waterways
Merchant marine
Total: 9
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 2 passenger/cargo 4 roll on/roll off 2
Rank: 117
Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Bizerte Gabes Rades Sfax Skhira
Tunisia - Transnational issues 2017
top of pageDisputes international
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons: none
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs
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