Economy - overview:
Tunisia's economy – structurally designed to favor vested interests – faced an array of challenges exposed by the 2008 global financial crisis that helped precipitate the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. After the revolution and a series of terrorist attacks, including on the country’s tourism sector, barriers to economic inclusion continued to add to slow economic growth and high unemployment.

Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia 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 strategy, coupled with investments in education and infrastructure, fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improved 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, unemployment rose, and the informal economy grew. Tunisia’s economy became less and less inclusive. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI, further depressing Tunisia's economy as tourism and investment declined sharply.

Tunisia’s government remains under pressure to boost economic growth quickly to mitigate chronic socio-economic challenges, especially high levels of youth unemployment, which has persisted since the 2011 revolution. Successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector, which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP, slowed growth from 2015 to 2017. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with the IMF through an Extended Fund Facility agreement to fix fiscal deficiencies.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$137.7 billion (2017 est.)
$135 billion (2016 est.)
$133.5 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 78
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.96 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2017 est.)
1.1% (2016 est.)
1.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 155
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,900 (2017 est.)
$11,800 (2016 est.)
$11,800 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 131
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
12% of GDP (2017 est.)
13.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
12.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 152
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 71.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 20.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 43.2% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -55.2% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 10.1% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 26.2% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 63.8% (2017 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:
0.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 166
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
4.054 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 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:
15.5% (2017 est.)
15.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 174
[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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 68
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: 9.876 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: 12.21 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
24.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 120
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-5.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 180
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
70.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
62.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 51
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.3% (2017 est.)
3.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 176
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
5.75% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 73
[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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 114
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$12.92 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 77
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$12.92 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.83 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 78
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$36.19 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$34.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 75
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$4.191 billion (2017 est.)
-$3.694 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 179
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$13.82 billion (2017 est.)
$13.57 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 78
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - partners:
France 32.1%, Italy 17.3%, Germany 12.4% (2017)

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

Imports:
$19.09 billion (2017 est.)
$18.37 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 79
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

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

Imports - partners:
Italy 15.8%, France 15.1%, China 9.2%, Germany 8.1%, Turkey 4.8%, Algeria 4.7%, Spain 4.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.594 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.941 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 93
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$30.19 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$28.95 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 79
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$37.95 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$37.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 64
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$285 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$285 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 104
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -
2.48 (2017 est.)
2.148 (2016 est.)
2.148 (2015 est.)
1.9617 (2014 est.)
1.6976 (2013 est.)