Economy - overview Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, 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. Real growth averaged 5.4% in the past five years, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth, although tourism revenues have slowed since 11 September 2001 and may take a year or more to fully recover. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and a Mediterranean country. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

GDP purchasing power parity - $64.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 13%
industry: 33%
services: 54% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line 6% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index 41.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.7% (2001 est.)

Labor force 2.69 million (2001 est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate 15.6% (2000 est.)

Budget
revenues: $5.7 billion
expenditures: $6.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (2001 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate 5.2% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production 10.3 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 99.03%
hydro: 0.97%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 9.562 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 19 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 2 million kWh (2000)

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

Exports $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Exports - commodities textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000)

Imports $8.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Imports - partners France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000)

Debt - external $11.5 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient $933.2 million (1995); note - ODA, $90 million (1998 est.)

Currency Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code TND

Exchange rates Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.44 (January 2002), 1.3753 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Tunisia on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tunisia Economy 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tunisia Economy 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.