Tunisia

Broadcast media

broadcast media is mainly government-controlled; the state-run Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates 2 national TV networks, several national radio networks, and a number of regional radio stations; 1 TV and 3 radio stations are privately owned and report domestic news stories directly from the official Tunisian news agency; the state retains control of broadcast facilities and transmitters through L'Office National de la Telediffusion; Tunisians also have access to Egyptian, pan-Arab, and European satellite TV channels (2007)

Internet country code

.tn

Internet users

total: 5 million | percent of population: 45.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 38, shortwave 2 (2007)

Telephone system

general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; telephone network is completely digitized; Internet access available throughout the country | domestic: in an effort to jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network, the government has awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; rural areas are served by wireless local loops; competition between the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in subscribership; a third mobile, fixed, and ISP operator was licensed in 2009 and began offering services in 2010; expansion of mobile-cellular services to include multimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phone services has also lead to a surge in subscribership; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached about 125 telephones per 100 persons | international: country code - 216; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 950,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 14.3 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 131 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Television broadcast stations

26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $12.43 billion | expenditures: $15.53 billion (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Central bank discount rate

5.75% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 63

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7.31% (31 December 2014 est.) | 6.76% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Current account balance

-$4.332 billion (2014 est.) | -$3.861 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Debt - external

$29.56 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $26.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40 (2005 est.) | 41.7 (1995 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

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 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 European Union. 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 (1987-2011) Zine el Abidine BEN ALI 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. During 2012 and 2013, security and political upheaval during transition led to a deterioration of the economy and resulted in several downgrades of Tunisia’s credit rating. Tunisia's government faces challenges reassuring businesses and investors, bringing budget and current account deficits under control, shoring up the country's financial system, bringing down high unemployment, and reducing economic disparities between the more developed coastal region and the impoverished interior.

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - | 1.704 (2014 est.) | 1.6247 (2013 est.) | 1.56 (2012 est.) | 1.4078 (2011 est.) | 1.4314 (2010 est.)

Exports

$16.61 billion (2014 est.) | $17.03 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

France 29.7%, Italy 17.1%, Germany 11.5%, Libya 5.4% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$48.55 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$124.3 billion (2014 est.) | $121.5 billion (2013 est.) | $118.8 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 77

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 64.8% | government consumption: 18.5% | investment in fixed capital: 22.2% | investment in inventories: 3.5% | exports of goods and services: 45.6% | imports of goods and services: -55.6% | (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 8.7% | industry: 29% | services: 62.3% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,300 (2014 est.) | $11,000 (2013 est.) | $10,800 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 122

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2014 est.) | 2.3% (2013 est.) | 3.7% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Gross national saving

11.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 13.7% of GDP (2013 est.) | 16.1% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% | highest 10%: 31.5% (2000)

Imports

$23.4 billion (2014 est.) | $22.87 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Imports - commodities

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 19.9%, Italy 19.5%, Germany 7.6%, China 5.5%, Spain 5.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.9% (2014 est.) | 6.1% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Labor force

3.95 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 14.8% | industry: 33.2% | services: 51.7% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$8.887 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | $9.662 billion (31 December 2011) | $10.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Population below poverty line

3.8% (2005 est.)

Public debt

49.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | 46.2% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$7.198 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $7.447 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Stock of broad money

$31.32 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $30.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$310 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $295 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$35.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $34.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Stock of domestic credit

$38 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $36.94 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

Stock of narrow money

$13.22 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $13.21 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Taxes and other revenues

25.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Unemployment rate

15.3% (2014 est.) | 15.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

20.27 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Crude oil - exports

77,980 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Crude oil - imports

3,680 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Crude oil - production

64,150 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Crude oil - proved reserves

425 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Electricity - consumption

12.94 billion kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Electricity - exports

172 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Electricity - from fossil fuels

97.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Electricity - imports

175 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Electricity - installed generating capacity

4.076 million kW (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Electricity - production

15.23 billion kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Natural gas - consumption

3.683 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Natural gas - imports

1.819 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Natural gas - production

1.863 billion cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Natural gas - proved reserves

65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Refined petroleum products - consumption

90,080 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Refined petroleum products - exports

3,391 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Refined petroleum products - imports

80,980 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Refined petroleum products - production

11,170 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Area

total: 163,610 sq km | land: 155,360 sq km | water: 8,250 sq km | country comparison to the world: 93

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Georgia

Climate

temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Coastline

1,148 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m | highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Environment - current issues

toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.85 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%) | per capita: 295.8 cu m/yr (2001)

Geographic coordinates

34 00 N, 9 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Irrigated land

3,970 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,495 km | border countries (2): Algeria 1,034 km, Libya 461 km

Land use

agricultural land: 64.8% | arable land 18.3%; permanent crops 15.4%; permanent pasture 31.1% | forest: 6.6% | other: 28.6% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 12 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Terrain

mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

Total renewable water resources

4.6 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

24 governorates (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), L'Ariana (Aryanah), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Capital

name: Tunis | geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014, signed by president on 27 January 2014 (2014)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia | conventional short form: Tunisia | local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah | local short form: Tunis

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jacob WALLES (since 24 July 2012) | embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053 | mailing address: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053 | telephone: [216] 71 107-000 | FAX: [216] 71 963-263

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Faycal GOUIA (since 18 May 2015) | chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 | telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 | FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Executive branch

chief of state: President Beji CAID ESSEBSI (since 31 December 2014) | head of government: Prime Minister Habib ESSID (since 6 February 2015) | cabinet: selected by the prime minister and approved by the Constituent Assembly | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 November and 21 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); following legislative elections, the prime minister is selected by the majority party or major coalition and appointed by the president | election results: Beji CAID ESSEBSI elected president; percent of vote in runoff - Beji CAID ESSEBSI (Tunisia's Call) 55.7%, Moncef MARZOUKI (CPR) 44.3%

Flag description

red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam | note: the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire

Government type

republic

Independence

20 March 1956 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (organized into civil and criminal chambers and consists of NA judges) | judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Higher Magistracy Council (also called the Superior Council of the Judiciary), a 7-member body of judges and prosecutors; judges appointed by presidential decree; judge tenure NA | subordinate courts: Administrative Court; Courts of Appeal; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code, and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Chamber of the People's Deputies (217 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: initial election held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - Tunisia's Call 39.6%, al-Nahda 31.8%, UPL 7.4%, Popular Front 6.9%, Afek Tounes 3.7%, CPR 1.8%, other 8.8%; seats by party - Tunisia's Call 86, al-Nahda 69, UPL 16, Popular Front 15, Afek Tounes 8, CPR 4, other 17, independent 2

National anthem

name: "Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland) | lyrics/music: Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB | note: adopted 1957, replaced 1958, restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates

National holiday

Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)

National symbol(s)

encircled red star and crescent; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Afek Tounes [Emna MINF] | Alliance for Tunisia (a coalition of Tunisia's Call [Beji CAID ESSEBSI], Republican Party [Maya JRIBI and Najib CHBBI], Democratic Path [Ahmed BRAHIM]) | al-Nahda (The Renaissance) [Rachid GHANNOUCHI] | Congress for the Republic or CPR [Moncef MARZOUKI] | Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL (Ettakatol) [Mustapha Ben JAAFAR] | Democratic Modernist Pole or PDM (a coalition) | Democratic Socialist Movement or MDS | Et-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM] | Free Patriotic Union or UPL (Union patriotique libre) [Slim RIAHI] | Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI] | Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET] | Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA] | Popular Front (a coalition of 9 parties including Democractic Patriots' Movement, Workers' Party, Green Tunisia, Tunisian Ba'ath Movement, and Party of the Democractic Arab Vanguard) | Popular Petition (Aridha Chaabia) [Hachemi HAMDI] | Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA] | Progressive Democratic Party or PDP [Maya JERIBI] | The Initiative [Kamel MORJANE] (formerly the Constitutional Democratic Rally or RCD) | Tunisia's Call (Nidaa Tounes) [Beji CAID ESSEBSI] | Tunisian Workers' Communist Party or PCOT [Hamma HAMMAMI] | Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders

18 October Group [collective leadership] | Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI] | Tunisian General Labor Union or UGTT [Hassine ABASSI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months

Background

Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in convincing the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Parliamentary and presidential elections for a permanent government were held at the end of 2014. Beji CAID ESSEBSI was elected as the first president under the country’s new constitution.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,846,572 | females age 16-49: 2,952,180 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,397,716 | females age 16-49: 2,484,097 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 90,436 | female: 87,346 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Tunisiens, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Tunisian Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'Tunisia) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.55% of GDP (2012) | 1.34% of GDP (2011) | 1.55% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 57

Military service age and obligation

20-23 years of age for compulsory service, 1-year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; Tunisian nationality required (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.03% (male 1,309,910/female 1,232,149) | 15-24 years: 15.53% (male 860,967/female 853,502) | 25-54 years: 44.58% (male 2,388,056/female 2,532,035) | 55-64 years: 8.82% (male 494,054/female 479,469) | 65 years and over: 8.04% (male 435,737/female 451,346) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

16.64 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.3% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 118

Contraceptive prevalence rate

62.5% (2011/12)

Death rate

5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 44.8% | youth dependency ratio: 33.8% | elderly dependency ratio: 11% | potential support ratio: 9.1% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population | rural: 93.2% of population | total: 97.7% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 6.8% of population | total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.2% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 38

Ethnic groups

Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.04% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,700 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Health expenditures

7.1% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 80

Hospital bed density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 22.35 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 25.71 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 18.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Languages

Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce), Berber (Tamazight) | note: despite having no official status, French plays a major role in the country and is spoken by about two-thirds of the population

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.89 years | male: 73.79 years | female: 78.14 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 81.8% | male: 89.6% | female: 74.2% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

TUNIS (capital) 1.993 million (2015)

Median age

total: 31.9 years | male: 31.5 years | female: 32.3 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tunisian(s) | adjective: Tunisian

Net migration rate

-1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.1% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 80

Physicians density

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

11,037,225 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Population growth rate

0.89% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Religions

Muslim (official; Sunni) 99.1%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) 1%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.4% of population | rural: 79.8% of population | total: 91.6% of population | urban: 2.6% of population | rural: 20.2% of population | total: 8.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years | male: 14 years | female: 15 years (2010)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.99 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 42.3% (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Urbanization

urban population: 66.8% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 1.38% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Tunisia is a source, destination, and possible transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Tunisia’s increased number of street children, children working to support their families, and migrants who have fled unrest in neighboring countries are vulnerable to human trafficking; Tunisian women have been forced into prostitution domestically and elsewhere in the region under false promises of legitimate work; East and West African women may be subjected to forced labor as domestic servants | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Tunisia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; prior commitments to enact draft anti-trafficking legislation have not been fulfilled, but a slightly increased number of trafficking offenders were prosecuted and convicted in 2013 under existing trafficking-related laws; the government instituted victim identification procedures and developed a victim referral mechanism, although it was not utilized during the reporting period; anti-trafficking awareness campaigns continued to be implemented, and the government worked with an international organization to produce a baseline study on human trafficking in Tunisia (2014)

Airports

29 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 118

Airports - with paved runways

total: 15 | over 3,047 m: 4 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 14 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 5 | 8 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 9 | by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, passenger/cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2 (2010) | country comparison to the world: 116

Pipelines

condensate 68 km; gas 3,111 km; oil 1,381 km; refined products 453 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Railways

total: 2,173 km (1,991 in use) | standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge | dual gauge: 8 km 1.435-1.000-m gauge | narrow gauge: 1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 69

Roadways

total: 19,418 km | paved: 14,756 km (includes 357 km of expressways) | unpaved: 4,662 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 112