01
Physical geography
Mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara.
Local timeTunis ·
Africa / Northern Africa · Card 055
Tunisia
Tunisia is a country in Northern Africa. Its capital is Tunis.
Find Tunisia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Tunis
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Tunisian dinar (TND)
- Population
- 12.3 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 163,610 km²63,170 square miles
- Independence
- 1956from France
Tunisia in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Tunis; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
03
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya.
Flag
Red with a white disk in the center that displays a red crescent around a five-pointed red star
History & independence
Tunisia became independent from France on 20 March 1956 after nationalist organizing and negotiations. The monarchy was abolished in 1957. Protests beginning in December 2010 led to the departure of President Ben Ali in January 2011.
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Independence from France
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The republic is declared
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Protests end Ben Ali’s presidency
Economy
Main activities
Manufacturing, services, tourism and agriculture are important activities. Textiles, electrical components, olive oil and other products support exports. Trade links with Europe are central to the economy.
Industry and production
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate, iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people12.32025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5,131,396 | 5.131 |
| 1980 | 6,606,195 | 6.606 |
| 1990 | 8,324,509 | 8.325 |
| 2000 | 9,764,935 | 9.765 |
| 2010 | 10,765,980 | 10.766 |
| 2020 | 11,974,057 | 11.974 |
| 2025 | 12,348,573 | 12.349 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars50.42025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17,601,927,420 | 17.602 |
| 1991 | 18,289,202,651 | 18.289 |
| 1992 | 19,716,808,223 | 19.717 |
| 1993 | 20,148,572,580 | 20.149 |
| 1994 | 20,788,977,092 | 20.789 |
| 1995 | 21,277,865,199 | 21.278 |
| 1996 | 22,798,398,674 | 22.798 |
| 1997 | 24,038,846,665 | 24.039 |
| 1998 | 25,188,807,992 | 25.189 |
| 1999 | 26,713,898,246 | 26.714 |
| 2000 | 27,972,115,617 | 27.972 |
| 2001 | 29,034,013,116 | 29.034 |
| 2002 | 29,418,004,532 | 29.418 |
| 2003 | 30,801,356,640 | 30.801 |
| 2004 | 32,722,064,779 | 32.722 |
| 2005 | 33,862,934,470 | 33.863 |
| 2006 | 35,638,740,560 | 35.639 |
| 2007 | 38,029,929,333 | 38.030 |
| 2008 | 39,641,554,633 | 39.642 |
| 2009 | 40,848,025,577 | 40.848 |
| 2010 | 42,061,674,643 | 42.062 |
| 2011 | 41,200,826,153 | 41.201 |
| 2012 | 42,938,131,960 | 42.938 |
| 2013 | 43,981,498,924 | 43.981 |
| 2014 | 45,340,671,514 | 45.341 |
| 2015 | 45,779,494,042 | 45.779 |
| 2016 | 46,290,957,182 | 46.291 |
| 2017 | 47,333,713,939 | 47.334 |
| 2018 | 48,567,689,497 | 48.568 |
| 2019 | 49,320,533,876 | 49.321 |
| 2020 | 44,893,953,704 | 44.894 |
| 2021 | 47,020,147,730 | 47.020 |
| 2022 | 48,314,277,430 | 48.314 |
| 2023 | 48,403,183,212 | 48.403 |
| 2024 | 49,184,626,298 | 49.185 |
| 2025 | 50,410,853,187 | 50.411 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.746High human developmentRank 105 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.569
20000.654
20100.717
20200.733
20230.746
76.5 yearsLife expectancy at birth
7.6 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. Parliament has two chambers (a bicameral legislature). Government is formed through the parliamentary system.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Tunisia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Tunisia?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.