| Economy | Tunisia |
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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 4.7% in 2008 and probably will decline further in 2009 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):
|
$81.88 billion (2008 est.)
$78.21 billion (2007)
$73.56 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$7,900 (2008 est.)
$7,600 (2007 est.)
$7,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$41.77 billion (2008 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate:
|
4.7% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
5.4% (2006 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 10.8%
industry: 28.3%
services: 61% (2008 est.) |
Investment (gross fixed):
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24.4% of GDP (2008 est.) |
Population below poverty line:
|
7.4% (2005 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.5% (2000) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
40 (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5% (2008 est.) |
Central bank discount rate:
|
void |
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
|
void |
Stock of money:
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$9.491 billion (31 December 2007) |
Stock of money - per capita:
|
906 USD per capita |
Stock of quasi money:
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$13.56 billion (31 December 2007) |
Stock of quasi money - per capita:
|
1,294 USD per capita |
Stock of domestic credit:
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$25.23 billion (31 December 2007) |
Stock of domestic credit - per capita:
|
2,406 USD per capita |
Labor force:
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3.676 million (2008 est.) |
Labor force participation rate:
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35.06 % of population |
Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 55%
industry: 23%
services: 22% (1995 est.) |
Unemployment rate:
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14% (2008 est.) |
Budget:
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revenues: $9.652 billion
expenditures: $11.03 billion (2008 est.) |
Budget revenues per capita:
|
921 USD per capita |
Public debt:
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53.1% of GDP (2008 est.) |
Industries:
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petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages |
Industrial production growth rate:
|
4.5% (2008 est.) |
Electricity - production:
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12.65 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - production per capita:
|
1,207 kWh per capita |
Electricity - consumption:
|
10.75 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - consumption - per capita:
|
1,026 kWh per capita |
Electricity - exports:
|
135 million kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2007 est.) |
Oil - production:
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86,210 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
Oil - production per capita:
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8,222 bbl/day per capita |
Oil - consumption:
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91,110 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
Oil - consumption - per capita:
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3.17 bbl/year per capita |
Oil - exports:
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73,790 bbl/day (2005) |
Oil - imports:
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89,130 bbl/day (2005) |
Oil - proved reserves:
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400 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.) |
Natural gas - production:
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2.55 billion cu m (2006 est.) |
Natural gas - production per capita:
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244 cu m per capita |
Natural gas - consumption:
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3.85 billion cu m (2006 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption - per capita:
|
368 cu m per capita |
Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2007 est.) |
Natural gas - imports:
|
0 cu m (2005) |
Natural gas - proved reserves:
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65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.) |
Agriculture - products:
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olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products |
Current account balance:
|
-$993 million (2008 est.) |
Current account balance - per capita:
|
-94 USD per capita |
Exports:
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$19.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.) |
Exports per capita:
|
1,879 USD per capita |
Exports - commodities:
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clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment |
Exports - partners:
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France 31.3%, Italy 21%, Germany 8.5%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 5.5% (2007) |
Imports:
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$23 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.) |
Imports per capita:
|
2,194 USD per capita |
Imports - commodities:
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textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners:
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France 23.8%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 9.7%, Spain 5%, Libya 4.4% (2007) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$8.875 billion (31 December 2008 est.) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold - per capita:
|
847 USD per capita |
Debt - external:
|
$19.33 billion (31 December 2008 est.) |
Debt - external - per capita:
|
1,844 USD per capita |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$28.51 billion (2008 est.) |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home - per capita:
|
2,719 USD per capita |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$130 million (2008 est.) |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad - per capita:
|
13 USD per capita |
Market value of publicly traded shares:
|
$5.355 billion (31 December 2007) |
Market value of publicly traded shares - per capita:
|
511 USD per capita |
Economic aid - donor:
|
void |
Economic aid - recipient:
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$376.5 million (2005) |
Economic aid - recipient per capita:
|
36 USD per capita |
Currency (code):
|
Tunisian dinar (TND) |
Exchange rates:
|
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 1.211 (2008 est.), 1.2776 (2007), 1.331 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004) |
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
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