Economy - 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 from 2015 to 2017. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with labor unions to limit labor disruption.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$135.9 billion (2017 est.)
$132.8 billion (2016 est.)
$131.5 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 79
$39.88 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
2.3% (2017 est.)
1% (2016 est.)
1.1% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$12,000 (2017 est.)
$11,800 (2016 est.)
$11,800 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 131
13.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
13.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
12.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 72.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 21.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 18%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 44.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -56.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 10%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 25.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 63.5% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate, iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
0.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
4.054 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 14.8%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 33.2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 51.7% (2014 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
13% (2017 est.)
14% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
15.5% (2010 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.6%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)
40 (2005 est.)
41.7 (1995 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $9.397 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $11.61 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
23.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-5.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
66.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
62.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
4.5% (2017 est.)
3.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
5.75% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
7.31% (31 December 2016 est.)
6.76% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$11.78 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.86 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$26.91 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$26.73 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$35.41 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$34.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$8.887 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$9.662 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$10.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$3.487 billion (2017 est.)
-$3.776 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$14.22 billion (2017 est.)
$13.57 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment
France 30.1%, Italy 19.3%, Germany 10.7%, Spain 5.2%, Libya 4.3% (2016)
$19.57 billion (2017 est.)
$18.37 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs
France 18%, Italy 14.8%, China 8%, Germany 7.3%, Spain 4.3%, Algeria 4.1% (2016)
$5.699 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.941 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$31.05 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$28.93 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$38.33 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$37.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$285 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$285 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -
2.422 (2017 est.)
2.148 (2016 est.)
2.148 (2015 est.)
1.9617 (2014 est.)
1.6976 (2013 est.)