Tunisia

total: 1,334,551 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11.29 (2020 est.)

1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with 2 stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)

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total: 7.92 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 66.7% (2019 est.)

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 are developing 5G networks and services; Chinese company Huawei invested in LTE network; operator planning 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 integrated circuits and broadcasting equipment from China (2020) 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; fixed-line is 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached about 126 telephones per 100 persons (2019) 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) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

total subscriptions: 1,533,273 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12.97 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions: 14,852,857 (2020) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125.7 (2020 est.)

wheat, milk, tomatoes, barley, olives, watermelons, green chillies/peppers, potatoes, dates, green onions/shallots

revenues: 9.876 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 12.21 billion (2017 est.)

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

Fitch rating: B (2020) Moody's rating: B2 (2018) Standard & Poors rating: N/A (2013)

-$4.191 billion (2017 est.) -$3.694 billion (2016 est.)

$35.911 billion (2019 est.) $33.79 billion (2018 est.)

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.

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 2.71795 (2020 est.) 2.8518 (2019 est.) 2.95875 (2018 est.) 1.9617 (2014 est.) 1.6976 (2013 est.)

$19.17 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) $19.42 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

insulated wiring, clothing and apparel, crude petroleum, olive oil, vehicle parts (2019)

France 29%, Italy 17%, Germany 13% (2019)

calendar year

$38.884 billion (2019 est.)

household consumption: 71.7% (2017 est.) government consumption: 20.8% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 43.2% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -55.2% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 10.1% (2017 est.) industry: 26.2% (2017 est.) services: 63.8% (2017 est.)

32.8 (2015 est.) 41.7 (1995 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)

$23.42 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.) $24.65 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

refined petroleum, natural gas, low-voltage protection equipment, cars, insulated wiring (2019)

France 17%, Italy 16%, Germany 8%, China 8%, Algeria 7% (2019)

0.5% (2017 est.)

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

6.7% (2019 est.) 7.2% (2018 est.) 5.3% (2017 est.)

4.054 million (2017 est.)

agriculture: 14.8% industry: 33.2% services: 51.7% (2014 est.)

15.2% (2015 est.)

70.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 62.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

$114.97 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $125.78 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $124.48 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

2% (2017 est.) 1.1% (2016 est.) 1.2% (2015 est.)

$9,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $10,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $10,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$5.594 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $5.941 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

24.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

15.5% (2017 est.) 15.5% (2016 est.)

total: 34.9% male: 33.8% female: 37.2% (2017 est.)

39,980 bbl/day (2015 est.)

17,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)

39,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

425 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

15.27 billion kWh (2016 est.)

500 million kWh (2015 est.)

94% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

134 million kWh (2016 est.)

5.768 million kW (2016 est.)

18.44 billion kWh (2016 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

5.125 billion cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

3.851 billion cu m (2017 est.)

1.274 billion cu m (2017 est.)

65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

102,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

13,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

85,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)

27,770 bbl/day (2015 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 35.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 29.94 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 7.89 megatons (2020 est.)

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

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

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

agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.) forest: 6.6% (2018 est.) other: 28.6% (2018 est.)

North Western Sahara Aquifer System

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

forest revenues: 0.21% of GDP (2018 est.)

4.615 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal: 137 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 965 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 3.773 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

urban population: 69.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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.)

total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km

slightly larger than Georgia

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

1,148 km

highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m mean elevation: 246 m

34 00 N, 9 00 E

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

4,590 sq km (2012)

total: 1,495 km border countries (2): Algeria 1034 km, Libya 461 km

agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.) forest: 6.6% (2018 est.) other: 28.6% (2018 est.)

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

North Western Sahara Aquifer System

Africa

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 12 nm

flooding; earthquakes; droughts

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

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

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

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)

name: Tunis geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) 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

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

history: several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014, signed by the president, prime minister, and Constituent Assembly speaker 27 January 2014; note - in mid-December 2021 President Kais SAIED announced that a constitutional referendum would be held in late July 2022 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 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

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald A. BLOME (since 7 February 2019) embassy: Les Berges du Lac, 1053 Tunis mailing address: 6360 Tunis Place, Washington DC 20521-6360 telephone: [216] 71-107-000 FAX: [216] 71-107-090 email address and website: tunisacs@state.gov https://tn.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador Nejmeddin LAKHAL (since 18 January 2021) chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 email address and website: AT.Washington@Tunisiaembassy.org https://www.tunisianembassy.org/

chief of state: President Kais SAIED (elected 13 October, sworn in 23 October 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Najla Bouden ROMDHANE (since 11 October 2021) cabinet: selected by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly of the Representatives of the People 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 15 September 2019 with a runoff on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the prime minister is selected by the winning party or winning coalition and appointed by the president election results: 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%; runoff - Kais SAIED elected president; Kais SAIED 72.7%, Nabil KAROUI 27.3%

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

parliamentary republic

20 March 1956 (from France)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

highest courts: 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; note -court was established in the constitution but establishment has been delayed subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; administrative courts; Court of Audit; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts 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 to consist of 12 members - 4 each to be appointed by the president, the Supreme Judicial Council (an independent 4-part body consisting mainly of elected judges and the remainder are legal specialists), and the Chamber of the People's Deputies (parliament); members are to serve 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years

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

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 living abroad by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in mid-December 2021, President Kais SAIED announced that the parliament, which he suspended the previous July, would be extended until a general election in December 2022, nearly two years earlier than the expected election date of late October 2024 elections: initial election held on 6 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - Ennahdha 19.6%, Heart of Tunisia 14.6%, Free Destourian Party 6.6%, Democratic Current 6.4%, Dignity Coalition 5.9%, People's Movement 4.5%, TahyaTounes 4.1%, other 35.4%, independent 2.9%; seats by party - Ennahdha 52, Heart of Tunisia 38, Free Destourian Party 17, Democratic Current 22, Dignity Coalition 21, People's Movement 16, Tahya Tounes 14, other 25, independent 12; composition (as of October 2021) - men 160, women 57, percent of women 26.3%

name: "Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland) lyrics/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

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

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

Afek Tounes [Yassine BRAHIM]Al Badil Al-Tounisi (The Tunisian Alternative) [Mehdi JOMAA] Call for Tunisia Party (Nidaa Tounes) [Hafedh CAID ESSEBSI] Congress for the Republic Party 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] Dignity Coalition [Seifeddine MAKHIOUF] Free Destourian Party [Abir MOUSSI] Free Patriotic Union (Union patriotique libre) or UPL [Slim RIAHI] Green Tunisia Party [Abdelkader ZITOUNI] Heart of Tunisia (Qalb Tounes) Irada Movement Long Live Tunisia (Tahya Tounes) [Youssef CHAHED] Machrou Tounes (Tunisia Project) [Mohsen MARZOUK] Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ahmed KHASKHOUSSI] Ennahda 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, 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]

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

Tunisia has been the nexus of many different colonizations including those of the Phoenicians (as early as the 12 century B.C.), the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, various Arab and Berber kingdoms, and the Ottomans (16 th to late 19 th 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 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. Following ESSEBSI s death in office in July 2019, Tunisia moved its scheduled presidential election forward two months and after two rounds of voting, Kais SAIED was sworn in as president in October 2019. Tunisia also held legislative elections on schedule in October 2019. SAIED's term, as well as that of Tunisia's 217-member parliament, expires in 2024.

as of 2021, the Tunisian military s primary operational areas of focus were counter-terrorism, counterinsurgency, and border security; it was conducting counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations against al-Qa ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State of ash-Sham (ISIS)-linked militants who have been fighting a low-intensity insurgency, mostly in the mountainous region along the border with Algeria, particularly the Chaambi Mountains near the city of Kasserine; the military maintained the lead role for security in this area and also routinely conducted joint operations with Algerian security forces against these groups, as well to counter smuggling and trafficking activities; the military in recent years also has increased its role in securing the southern border against militant activity, smuggling, and trafficking from war-torn Libya; since 2015, Tunisia has constructed a complex structure of berms, trenches, and water-filled moats, complemented by electronic surveillance equipment such as motion detectors, ground surveillance radars, and infrared sensors along the 220-kilometer border with Libya; in the remote southern areas of the border with Libya, buffer/exclusion zones have also been established where the military has the lead for counter-terrorism efforts; outside of these border areas, the Ministry of Interior has the lead responsibility for counter-terrorism in Tunisia, particularly for urban areas; the National Police Anti-Terrorism Brigade (BAT) and the National Guard Special Unit have the lead for MOI counterterrorism operations Tunisia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments

Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Tunisiennes, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Tunisian Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Tunisia Air Force; Ministry of Interior: National Police, National Guard (2021) 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 Tunisian Armed Forces (FAT) have approximately 36,000 active personnel (27,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 4,000 Air Force); est. 10,000 National Guard (2021)

the Tunisian military's inventory includes mostly older or secondhand US and European equipment; since 2010, the Netherlands and US are the leading suppliers of arms to Tunisia (2021)

2.9% of GDP (2020 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2019) 2.1% of GDP (2018) 2.1% of GDP (2017) 2.4% of GDP (2016)

20-23 years of age for compulsory service, 1-year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service (2021)

0-14 years: 25.28% (male 1,529,834/female 1,433,357) 15-24 years: 12.9% (male 766,331/female 745,888) 25-54 years: 42.85% (male 2,445,751/female 2,576,335) 55-64 years: 10.12% (male 587,481/female 598,140) 65 years and over: 8.86% (male 491,602/female 546,458) (2020 est.)

15.21 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

1.6% (2018)

50.7% (2018)

7.3% (2018)

6.35 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

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.

total dependency ratio: 49.6 youth dependency ratio: 36.3 elderly dependency ratio: 13.3 potential support ratio: 7.5 (2020 est.)

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 94.3% of population total: 98.2% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 5.7% of population total: 1.8% of population (2017 est.)

7.3% of GDP (2016)

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

<.1% (2020 est.)

<200 (2020 est.)

4,500 (2020 est.)

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

total: 12.16 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

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 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.

total population: 76.57 years male: 74.88 years female: 78.36 years (2021 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.8% male: 89.6% female: 74.2% (2015)

2.403 million TUNIS (capital) (2021)

43 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

total: 32.7 years male: 32 years female: 33.3 years (2020 est.)

noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian

-1.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

26.9% (2016)

1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

11,811,335 (July 2021 est.)

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

0.75% (2021 est.)

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

improved: urban: 97.6% of population rural: 92.4% of population total: 95.9% of population unimproved: urban: 2.4% of population rural: 7.6% of population total: 4.1% of population (2017 est.)

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2016)

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

2.03 children born/woman (2021 est.)

total: 34.9% male: 33.8% female: 37.2% (2017 est.)

urban population: 69.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) network in Tunisia; al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb 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 Appendix-T

none

total: 29 (2013)

total: 15 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2013)

total: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 8 (2013)

TS

total: 71 by type: container ship 1, general cargo 8 oil tanker 1, other 61 (2021)

number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 53 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,274,199 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 13.23 million mt-km (2018)

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

major seaport(s): Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

total: 2,173 km (1,991 in use) (2014) standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge (2014) narrow gauge: 1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014) dual gauge: 8 km 1.435-1.000-m gauge (2014)

paved: 20,000 km (2015)