Tunisia
Republic of Tunisia
Population
11.96M
Area
163,610 km²
GDP
$53.41B
GDP Per Capita
$12,700
Pop. Density
73/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
د.تTunisian dinar(TND)
Calling Code
+216
Timezone
UTC+01:00
Languages
Arabic
Driving Side
right
Demonym
Tunisian
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.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑49.3% since 2006Population
↑18.7% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 76.5 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography18
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Geographic coordinates
34 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries
border countries: Algeria 1,034 km; Libya 461 km
Coastline
1,148 km
Maritime claims
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
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
mean elevation: 246 m
Natural resources
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
3,920 sq km (2013)
Major aquifers
North Western Sahara Aquifer System
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
Natural hazards
flooding; earthquakes; droughts
Geography - note
strategic location in central Mediterranean
People & Society35
Population
male: 5,926,741
female: 6,036,254
Nationality
adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic groups
Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages
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.
Religions
Muslim (official; Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) <1%
Age structure
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)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 35.6 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 15.1 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 6.6 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 33.6 years
female: 35.1 years
Population growth rate
0.38% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
11.35 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
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
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.475 million TUNIS (capital) (2023)
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
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 75.7 years
female: 79.1 years
Total fertility rate
1.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.77 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 11.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
1.32 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Hospital bed density
2.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
26.9% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 0.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
male: 37.6% (2025 est.)
female: 1.4% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
1.6% (2018 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
52.5% (2023 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 1.5% (2018)
men married by age 18: 0% (2018)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 17.3% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy
male: 92.7% (2023 est.)
female: 80.1% (2023 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 14 years (2016 est.)
female: 15 years (2016 est.)
Government25
Country name
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
geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the origin of the ancient name is unclear; it is sometimes associated with the name of the Phoenician goddess Tanith
Administrative divisions
Legal system
mixed system of civil law, based on the French civil code and Islamic (sharia) law; Supreme Court reviews some legislative acts in joint session
Constitution
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or one third of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People membership; following Constitutional Court review, approval to proceed requires an absolute majority vote in 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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
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
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
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%
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
number of seats
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
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 never implemented)
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; administrative courts; Court of Audit; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts
Political parties
Al Badil Al-Tounisi (The Tunisian Alternative)
Al-Amal Party
Call for Tunisia Party (Nidaa Tounes)
Current of Love (formerly the Popular Petition party)
Democratic Current
Democratic Patriots' Unified Party
Dignity Coalition or Al Karama Coalition
Ennahda Movement (The Renaissance)
Ettakatol Party
Free Destourian Party or PDL
Green Tunisia Party
Harakat Hak
Heart of Tunisia (Qalb Tounes)
July 25 Movement
Labor and Achievement Party
Long Live Tunisia (Tahya Tounes)
Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS
National Coalition Party
National Salvation Front
New Carthage Party
Party of the Democratic Arab Vanguard
People's Movement
Republican Party (Al Joumhouri)
The Movement Party (Hizb Harak)
Third Republic Party
Tunisian Ba'ath Movement
Voice of the Republic
Workers' Party
Diplomatic representation in the US
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/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
tuniswebsitecontact@state.gov
https://tn.usembassy.gov/
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
Independence
20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)
Flag
meaning: red stands for martyrs' blood shed the fight against oppression, and white for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
history: resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star), a reference to Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire
National symbol(s)
red crescent moon and five-pointed star in a white circle
National color(s)
red, white
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
history: 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)
Economy31
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $154.006 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $153.945 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 0% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 2.7% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $12,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $12,700 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$53.41 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 9.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 8.3% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 23.6% (2023 est.)
services: 62.1% (2023 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
milk, tomatoes, olives, onions, chillies/peppers, watermelons, potatoes, wheat, dates, oranges (2023)
Industries
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate, iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Industrial production growth rate
-2.5% (2024 est.)
Labor force
4.247 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 15.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 15.3% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 41.1% (2024 est.)
female: 37.6% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
16.6% (2021 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Average household expenditures
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 27% (2021 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 6.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 6.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $12.375 billion (2019 est.)
Public debt
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022: -$3.969 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$2.77 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022: $17.254 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $14.054 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
France 22%, Italy 17%, Germany 13%, USA 4%, Libya 4% (2023)
Exports - commodities
garments, insulated wire, olive oil, refined petroleum, crude petroleum (2023)
Imports
Imports 2022: $22.453 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $18.178 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Italy 13%, France 12%, China 10%, Russia 8%, Germany 7% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, natural gas, plastic products, cars, plastics (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $9.24 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $8.094 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy7
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 99.7%
Electricity
consumption: 19.153 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 80 million kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 2.576 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 4.629 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
exports: 28 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 3,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 104,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 425 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
consumption: 5.131 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 3.887 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 65.129 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media
2 state-owned TV stations; 10 private local TV stations; satellite TV service 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
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2023 est.)
Transportation6
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
TS
Airports
14 (2025)
Heliports
11 (2025)
Railways
standard gauge: 471 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,694 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 8 km (2014) 1.435-1.000-m gauge
Merchant marine
by type: container ship 1, general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 62
Ports
total ports
large
medium
small
very small
ports with oil terminals
key ports
Military & Security7
Military and security forces
Ministry of Interior (MoI): Internal Security Forces (National Police, National Guard) (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 2.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 35,000 active-duty Armed Forces (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Tunisian military's inventory consists mostly of older or secondhand equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Austria, France, Italy, Türkiye, and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; men 20-35 years of age subject to 12 months of compulsory national service (2025)
Military deployments
840 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)
Military - note
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 (2025)
Transnational Issues2
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Trafficking in persons
https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/tunisia