Economy - overview:
Tunisia's diverse, market-oriented economy has long been cited as a success story in Africa and the Middle East, but it faces an array of challenges following the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia embarked on a successful strategy focused on bolstering exports, foreign investment, and tourism, all of which have become central to the country's economy. Key exports now include textiles and apparel, food products, petroleum products, chemicals, and phosphates, with about 80% of exports bound for Tunisia's main economic partner, the EU.Tunisia's liberal strategy, coupled with investments in education and infrastructure, fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improving living standards. Former President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (1987-2011) continued these policies, but as his reign wore on cronyism and corruption stymied economic performance, and unemployment rose among the country's growing ranks of university graduates. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI, sending Tunisia's economy into a tailspin as tourism and investment declined sharply.Since its establishment in late 2014, Tunisia’s new government has faced challenges reassuring businesses and investors, bringing budget and current account deficits under control, shoring up the country's financial system, lowering high unemployment, and reducing economic disparities between the more developed coastal region and the impoverished interior. In 2015, successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector, which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP, slowed growth to less than 1% of GDP.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$130.8 billion (2016 est.) $128.9 billion (2015 est.) $127.9 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 80
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$42.39 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2016 est.) 0.8% (2015 est.) 2.3% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,700 (2016 est.) $11,600 (2015 est.) $11,600 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 129
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
13.7% of GDP (2016 est.) 13.1% of GDP (2015 est.) 14% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 71.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 20.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 18.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 1.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 37.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -49.5% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 10.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 28.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 61.6% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
1.1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
4.038 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14.8%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 33.2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 51.7% (2014 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
15.4% (2016 est.) 15.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
15.5% (2010 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40 (2005 est.) 41.7 (1995 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $9.882 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $11.77 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
23.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-4.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
57.3% of GDP (2016 est.) 54.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2016 est.) 4.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
5.75% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 69
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.31% (31 December 2016 est.) 6.76% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$12.16 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $12.61 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$31.32 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $30.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$35.25 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $35.73 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$8.887 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $9.662 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $10.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$3.397 billion (2016 est.) -$3.849 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$12.88 billion (2016 est.) $14.07 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment

Exports - partners:
France 28.5%, Italy 17.2%, Germany 10.9%, Libya 6.1%, Spain 4.2% (2015)

Imports:
$17.75 billion (2016 est.) $19.1 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

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

Imports - partners:
France 19.4%, Italy 16.4%, Algeria 8.2%, Germany 7.4%, China 6% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.276 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $7.059 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$27.23 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $25.45 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$37.27 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $36.39 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$285 million (31 December 2016 est.) $285 million (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 2.141 (2016 est.) 1.9617 (2015 est.) 1.9617 (2014 est.) 1.6976 (2013 est.) 1.56 (2012 est.)