OECD Economic Surveys: Tunisia 2018

Abstract

This Survey was prepared in the Economics Department by Isabelle Joumard and Christine de La Maisonneuve under the supervision of Piritta Sorsa. The survey benefited from the substantial contributions of Manuel Betin, Alain de Serres, Souad Dhaoui, Raja Dridi, Jean-Marc Fournier, Said Kechida, Hedi Larbi and Paul O’Brien. Statistical research was carried out by Hermes Morgavi. Assa Fofana formatted the report and made the layout.

The Economic Survey of Tunisia was discussed at a meeting of the Economic and Development Review Committee on 15 January 2018, with the participation of Tunisian government representatives.

This Survey is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD.

This Survey is the first one dedicated to Tunisia.

BASIC STATISTICS OF TUNISIA, 2016

(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE
Population (million)	11.3		Population density per km2	69.1	(37.2)
Under 15 (%)	24.4	(17.9)	Life expectancy (years, 2015)	75.1	(80.5)
Over 65 (%)	8.2	(16.6)	Men	74.5	(77.9)
			Women	77.8	(83.1)
Latest 5-year average growth (%)	1.2	(0.6)	Latest general election	October 2014
ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP)			Value added shares (%)
In current prices (billion USD)	42.1		Primary sector	9.0	(2.5)
In current prices (billion TND)	90.4		Industry including construction	26.4	(26.7)
Latest 5-year average real growth (%)	2.4	(1.9)	Services	64.6	(70.8)
Per capita (000 USD PPP)	4.3	(42.1)
GENERAL GOVERNMENT2 Per cent of GDP
						Expenditure	32.4	(41.6)	Gross financial debt	61.9	(100.1)
Revenue	20.7	(38.7)
EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS
Exchange rate (TND per USD)	2.339		Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)
PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)	0.689		Electrical Machines and Apparatus	39.3
In per cent of GDP			Textile	26.5
Exports of goods and services	39.6	(53.6)	Crude Oil and Derived Products	8.0
Imports of goods and services	50.4	(49.3)	Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)
Current account balance	-8.8	(0.2)	Electrical Machines	18.4
Net international investment position	-120.3		Machines and Mechanical Devices	14.2
			Textiles	13.3
LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION
Employment rate3 (%)	39.8	(66.9)	Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)	15.5	(6.3)
Men	59.8	(74.7)	Youth (age 15-24, %)	37.6	(13.0)
Women	20.5	(59.3)	Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)	44.6	(2.0)
Participation rate3 (%)	47.1	(71.7)	Tertiary educational attainment 25+ (%)	12.3
			Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)	0.6	(2.4)
ENVIRONMENT
Total primary energy supply per capita (toe)	0.9	(4.1)	CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2015)	2.3	(9.2)
Renewables (%)	11.1	(9.6)
Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2015)	99.9	(75.2)
SOCIETY
Income inequality (Gini coefficient³, 2015)	0.358	(0.311)	Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)
Relative poverty rate³ (%)	15.2	(11.3)	Reading	361	(493)
Public and private spending (% of GDP)			Mathematics	367	(490)
Health care	7.0	(9.0)	Science	386	(493)
			Share of women in parliament (%)	31.3	(28.7)
			Net official development assistance (% of GNI)5	-1.13	(0.39)

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

1. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

2. Data refer to central government for Tunisia.

3. Aged 15 years or more for Tunisia and aged 15-64 for the OECD countries.

4. The Gini index for Tunisia is based on consumption while for the OECD countries it is based on income. The two indicators are not strictly comparable.

5. Tunisia is net receiver of official development assistance.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.