Key economic indicators of Tunisia - statistics & facts

Unike many Middle Eastern and North African countries, Tunisia is not particularly rich in oil and gas. So how does this small North African economy function, and what has facilitated its recovery after the -8.59 percent GDP decline caused by the COVID-19 outbreak?

At Tunisians' service

Indeed, services are the foundation of Tunisia’s economy, contributing the most to its GDP and employing around 53 percent of the workforce in 2022. Key employment sectors include education, healthcare, administration, trade, real estate, and business services. Green Tunisia’s seaside resorts and impressive landscapes of the Sahara Desert attract millions of domestic and international tourists every year. This makes tourism a significant contributor to the country’s service industry and makes up 14 percent of the GDP as of 2024. Although the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted international tourism in 2020, the industry has seen a steady recovery in the subsequent years.

Tunisia’s industrial landscape

As mentioned earlier, Tunisia lacks oil and gas resources, and the country’s industrial sector has gradually shrunk in recent years, with its GDP contribution declining from around 30 percent in 2010 to 23.3 percent in 2022. Although some industries are growing, only a few sectors, such as textiles and mining, had a positive trade balance in 2023. Phosphates, petroleum, zinc, and iron ore are among the country’s most abundant natural resources, which are exploited in industrial production and lead to significant export value.

You reap what you sow

With an agricultural land area of 9.7 million hectares, the country mainly produces cereals, tomatoes, potatoes, and citrus fruits, and ranks among the world’s leading producers of olive oil and dates. Moreover, Tunisia’s fishery and aquaculture production was worth around 1.12 billion Tunisian dinars (roughly 359 million U.S. dollars) in 2022. Therefore, agriculture and aquaculture can be considered significant contributors to the GDP.

What the future holds

Overall, in recent years, Tunisia’s economy has made significant strides to recovery after the impact of COVID-19. However, further development of the industrial and agricultural sectors could allow to create new jobs and tackle unemployment, which is especially widespread among youth and women. Furthermore, a growing agricultural output could increase the levels of food security and reduce reliance on food imports.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 3, 2024

Key insights

GDP
48.54bn USD
GDP per capita
3,556.38 USD
Quarterly GDP growth rate
0.5%
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Current statistics on this topic

Number of newly registered businesses in Tunisia from 2014 to 2029 (in thousands)

Business Enterprise

Number of newly registered businesses in Tunisia 2014-2029

Current account balance as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Tunisia from 2010 to 2020

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Current account balance as share of GDP in Tunisia 2010-2020

Labor freedom sub-score of Tunisia on the Economic Freedom Index from 2005 to 2023

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Labor freedom index in Tunisia 2005-2023

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