This Survey was prepared in the Economics Department by Isabelle Joumard and Christine de La Maisonneuve under the supervision of Piritta Sorsa. The survey benefited from the substantial contributions of Manuel Betin, Alain de Serres, Souad Dhaoui, Raja Dridi, Jean-Marc Fournier, Said Kechida, Hedi Larbi and Paul O’Brien. Statistical research was carried out by Hermes Morgavi. Assa Fofana formatted the report and made the layout.

The Economic Survey of Tunisia was discussed at a meeting of the Economic and Development Review Committee on 15 January 2018, with the participation of Tunisian government representatives.

This Survey is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD.

This Survey is the first one dedicated to Tunisia.

  
BASIC STATISTICS OF TUNISIA, 2016
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

11.3

Population density per km2

69.1

(37.2)

Under 15 (%)

24.4

(17.9)

Life expectancy (years, 2015)

75.1

(80.5)

Over 65 (%)

8.2

(16.6)

Men

74.5

(77.9)

Women

77.8

(83.1)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

1.2

(0.6)

Latest general election

October 2014

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%)

In current prices (billion USD)

42.1

Primary sector

9.0

(2.5)

In current prices (billion TND)

90.4

Industry including construction

26.4

(26.7)

Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

2.4

(1.9)

Services

64.6

(70.8)

Per capita (000 USD PPP)

4.3

(42.1)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT2

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

32.4

(41.6)

Gross financial debt

61.9

(100.1)

Revenue

20.7

(38.7)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate (TND per USD)

2.339

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

0.689

Electrical Machines and Apparatus

39.3

In per cent of GDP

Textile

26.5

Exports of goods and services

39.6

(53.6)

Crude Oil and Derived Products

8.0

Imports of goods and services

50.4

(49.3)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

Current account balance

-8.8

(0.2)

Electrical Machines

18.4

Net international investment position

-120.3

Machines and Mechanical Devices

14.2

Textiles

13.3

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate3 (%)

39.8

(66.9)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)

15.5

(6.3)

Men

59.8

(74.7)

Youth (age 15-24, %)

37.6

(13.0)

Women

20.5

(59.3)

Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

44.6

(2.0)

Participation rate3 (%)

47.1

(71.7)

Tertiary educational attainment 25+ (%)

12.3

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)

0.6

(2.4)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe)

0.9

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2015)

2.3

(9.2)

Renewables (%)

11.1

(9.6)

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2015)

99.9

(75.2)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient³, 2015)

0.358

(0.311)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate³ (%)

15.2

(11.3)

Reading

361

(493)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

Mathematics

367

(490)

Health care

7.0

(9.0)

Science

386

(493)

Share of women in parliament (%)

31.3

(28.7)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)5

-1.13

(0.39)

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

← 1. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

← 2. Data refer to central government for Tunisia.

← 3. Aged 15 years or more for Tunisia and aged 15-64 for the OECD countries.

4. The Gini index for Tunisia is based on consumption while for the OECD countries it is based on income. The two indicators are not strictly comparable.

← 5. Tunisia is net receiver of official development assistance.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.