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Tunisia Economy

The diverse Tunisian economy hinges on tourism, mining, agriculture, manufacturing and exports to EU. The economy is based on sound market-driven economic reforms launched in the late 1980s.

The government's tight control of economic affairs has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt.

About 20 percent of the Tunisian workforce is engaged in agriculture, which contributes nearly 11 percent of the GDP and 10 percent of overall exports.

Real growth, averaging 5% for the latter half of the last decade, slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lower levels of tourism due to the conflict in Iraq.

Better rains in 2003, however, pushed GDP growth up to an estimated 6 percent, and tourism also recovered after 'the end of combat operations' in Iraq. GDP growth remained at 6% in 2004.

The mining and minerals industry (excluding oil and gas), contribute to 3% of Tunisia's GDP. The Ministry of Industry regulates the oil industry in Tunisia. The state owned petroleum company is L' Tunisienne d' Petrolieres (ETAP), while the Société Nationale de Distribution du Pètrole (SNDP) is the national distribution and marketing company.

Tourism is a significant source of revenue and foreign exchange. Tunisia' primary trading partners are France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Maghreb countries.

Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the European Union over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges for the future.

The sound macro-economic policies embarked on in the 80's is beginning to reap dividends as the Tunisia economy has received the highest ranking for African Countries in the World Economic Forums 2005-2006 Global Competitiveness Report.

Agriculture - products: olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds

Budget: revenues: $6.101 billion expenditures: $6.855 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2004 est.)

Currency code: TND

Currency: Tunisian dinar (TND)

Debt - external: $14.39 billion (2004 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.7 (1995)

Economic aid - recipient: $378 million (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 9.748 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports: 1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - production: 10.48 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars ???

Exports - commodities: textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners: France 32.6%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 10.7%, Spain 4.7%, Libya 4.4% (2003)

Exports: $8.035 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.9% industry: 32.2% services: 53.9% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.1% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Imports - commodities: textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Imports - partners: France 26.1%, Italy 19.8%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5.2% (2003)

Imports: $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: -0.1% (2004 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Labour force - by occupation: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

Labour force: 3.461 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production: 2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 77.16 billion cu m (2004)

Oil - consumption: 87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA (2001)

Oil - imports: NA (2001)

Oil - production: 72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves: 417 million bbl (2004)

Population below poverty line: 7.6% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14.3% (2004 est.)