Economy - overview:
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth, which averaged almost 5% over the past decade, declined to 4.6% in 2008 and to 3-4% in 2009-10 because of economic contraction and slowing of import demand in Europe - Tunisia's largest export market. However, development of non-textile manufacturing, a recovery in agricultural production, and strong growth in the services sector somewhat mitigated the economic effect of slowing exports. Tunisia will need to reach even higher growth levels to create sufficient employment opportunities for an already large number of unemployed as well as the growing population of university graduates. The challenges ahead include: privatizing industry, liberalizing the investment code to increase foreign investment, improving government efficiency, reducing the trade deficit, and reducing socioeconomic disparities in the impoverished south and west.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - composition by sector: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Investment (gross fixed): Budget: Public debt: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Electricity - production: Electricity - consumption: Electricity - exports: Electricity - imports: Oil - production: Oil - consumption: Oil - exports: Oil - imports: Oil - proved reserves: Natural gas - production: Natural gas - consumption: Natural gas - exports: Natural gas - imports: Natural gas - proved reserves: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
NOTE: The information regarding Tunisia on this page is re-published from the 2011 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tunisia Economy 2011 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tunisia Economy 2011 should be addressed to the CIA.
$100.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
note:
data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP (purchasing power parity) country ranks ]
$43.86 billion (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
3.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$9,500 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
note:
data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
agriculture: 10.6%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - agriculture country ranks ]
industry:
34.6%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - industry country ranks ]
services:
54.8% (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - services country ranks ]
3.83 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 18.3%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry:
31.9%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services:
49.8% (2009 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
14% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
3.8% (2005 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.3%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%:
31.5% (2000)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]
40 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
26.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
[see also: Investment (gross fixed) country ranks ]
revenues: $9.806 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures:
$11.76 billion (2009 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
49.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
4.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
NA% (31 December 2009)
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
NA%
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$11.49 billion (31 December 2010 est)
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$29.39 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$31.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$9.12 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 77
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
1.6% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
11.08 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
[see also: Electricity - production country ranks ]
11.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
[see also: Electricity - consumption country ranks ]
130 million kWh (2007 est.)
[see also: Electricity - exports country ranks ]
145 million kWh (2007 est.)
[see also: Electricity - imports country ranks ]
91,380 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Oil - production country ranks ]
89,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
[see also: Oil - consumption country ranks ]
77,130 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Oil - exports country ranks ]
87,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
[see also: Oil - imports country ranks ]
425 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Oil - proved reserves country ranks ]
2.97 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
[see also: Natural gas - production country ranks ]
4.22 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
[see also: Natural gas - consumption country ranks ]
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
[see also: Natural gas - exports country ranks ]
1.25 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
[see also: Natural gas - imports country ranks ]
65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
[see also: Natural gas - proved reserves country ranks ]
-$1.389 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$16.11 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment
France 29.6%, Italy 21%, Germany 8.8%, Libya 5.8%, Spain 5%, UK 4.8% (2009)
$20.02 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs
France 20.1%, Italy 16.4%, Germany 8.8%, China 5%, Spain 4.5%, US 4% (2009)
$11.23 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$18.76 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$33.56 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$251 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 1.4367 (2010), 1.3503 (2009), 1.211 (2008), 1.2776 (2007), 1.331 (2006)
This page was last modified 09-Feb-11