Overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism and manufacturing sectors. The economy grew rapidly in the mid-1980s, GDP growth averaging 5.4% in 1983-85. Following a foreign exchange crisis caused by a sharp drop in agricultural output and tourism, combined with the oil price collapse in 1986, Tunisia inaugurated an IMF-sponsored economic rehabilitation scheme. Subsequent government structural reforms have helped liberalize and open the economy, and GDP growth has been positive since the start of the program. A sharp rebound in tourism from the downturn caused by the Gulf war and strong agricultural performance boosted real GDP growth to more than 8% in 1992; growth fell back to 2.6% in 1993. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $34.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 2.6% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $4,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.3 billion
expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to $NA (1993 est.)

Exports: $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
partners: EC countries 75%, Middle East 10%, Algeria 2%, India 2%, US 1%

Imports: $6.4 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
partners: EC countries 70%, US 5%, Middle East 2%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%, Algeria 1%

External debt: $7.7 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum

Electricity:
capacity: 1,545,000 kW
production: 5,096 kWh
consumption per capita: 600 kWh (1992)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops - olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89) $52 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million

Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 1.0514 (January 1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Tunisia on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tunisia Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tunisia Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.