Capital

Tunesien

name: Tunis

geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: three possibilities exist for the derivation of the name; originally a Berber settlement (earliest reference 4th century B.C.), the strategic site fell to the Carthaginians (Phoenicians) and the city could be named after the Punic goddess Tanit, since many ancient cities were named after patron deities; alternatively, the Berber root word "ens," which means "to lie down" or "to pass the night," may indicate that the site was originally a camp or rest stop; finally, the name may be the same as the city of Tynes, mentioned in the writings of some ancient authors

Citizenship

Tunesien

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tunisia

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Tunesien

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

Suffrage

Tunesien

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

Area

Tunesien

total: 163,610 sq km

land: 155,360 sq km

water: 8,250 sq km

Land use

Tunesien

agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 6.6% (2018 est.)

other: 28.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Tunesien

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

Age structure

Tunesien

0-14 years: 24.77% (male 1,529,179/female 1,436,771)

15-64 years: 65.26% (male 3,843,642/female 3,971,509)

65 years and over: 9.98% (2023 est.) (male 566,265/female 628,816)

Birth rate

Tunesien

14.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Tunesien

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Tunesien

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

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، أحسن كتاب تتعلم به المعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Tunesien

total population: 77.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 75.4 years

female: 78.8 years

Major urban areas - population

Tunesien

2.475 million TUNIS (capital) (2023)

Median age

Tunesien

total: 34 years (2023 est.)

male: 33.2 years

female: 34.7 years

Net migration rate

Tunesien

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Tunesien

the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

Tunesien

0.63% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Tunesien

1.96 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Tunesien

urban population: 70.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Tunesien

7.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Tunesien

total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 16 years (2016)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Tunesien

-5.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Tunesien

8.6% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Tunesien

4.226 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Tunesien

15.2% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

Tunesien

16.82% (2021 est.)

16.59% (2020 est.)

15.13% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Tunesien

70.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

62.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Tunesien

5.71% (2021 est.)

5.63% (2020 est.)

6.72% (2019 est.)

Exports

Tunesien

$19.743 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$16.017 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.175 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Tunesien

France 29%, Italy 17%, Germany 13% (2019)

Imports

Tunesien

$24.269 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.603 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$23.546 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Tunesien

France 17%, Italy 16%, Germany 8%, China 8%, Algeria 7% (2019)

Airports

Tunesien

29 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Tunesien

total: 1,334,059 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Tunesien

total: 9.48 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 79% (2021 est.)

Railways

Tunesien

total: 2,173 km (2014) (1,991 in use)

standard gauge: 471 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 1,694 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)

dual gauge: 8 km (2014) 1.435-1.000-m gauge

Roadways

Tunesien

paved: 20,000 km (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

Tunesien

total subscriptions: 1.7 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Tunesien

total subscriptions: 16 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 130 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Tunesien

none identified