Tunis — The Tunisian economy has shown resilience to external and internal pressures, maintaining its trajectory of gradual recovery and a return to normal levels of economic activity throughout 2026, Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri said Monday.
Presenting the Government's statement on the draft Economic Budget and the draft State Budget during a joint plenary session held Monday between the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) and the National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD), Zenzri explained that the national economy had achieved this result despite mounting crises and the risks arising from regional and international geopolitical tensions, whilst pointing out that the various policies implemented over the past decades had left most public institutions and enterprises exhausted.
The implementation of the 2026 budget had faced numerous challenges, which coincided with global economic and geopolitical instability intensified by the crisis in the Middle East, pointing out that the international scene had been characterised in particular by high levels of uncertainty, slowing growth, rising inflation, and the widening digital and technological gap.
She added that the energy and commodity markets had experienced sharp volatility, accompanied by sharp fluctuations in the prices of fuel and commodities, whilst pressures continued on trade, supply chains, production costs, and transport and insurance services, thereby leading to a significant rise in prices, particularly fuel prices.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The Premier further pointed out that this situation had a direct impact on the national economy and had placed additional pressure on public finances and businesses. These challenges were not limited to external factors, but also coincided with internal developments linked to climate, water and energy conditions. She cited, in particular, the unprecedented heatwaves last summer, which increased energy demand and doubled the strain on the electricity grid, she said.
She attributed the economy's resilience, primarily, to the positive performance of several key sectors, first and foremost the agricultural sector - driven by improved grain and oilseed production - and secondly the services sector, buoyed by the recovery in tourism, citing the recent positive trends recorded by several economic indicators.
Consequently, the gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.4% during the first half (H1) of 2026, whilst the unemployment rate stood at 14.9% in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, compared with 15% in Q1. As for inflation, the cumulative rate reached 5.3% by the end of September 2026, compared with 5.5% during the same period in 2025, whilst core inflation stood at 4.9%, the same level recorded in August 2026.
Furthermore, exports at current prices rose by 8% up to the end of August 2026, with growth driven by the increase in the energy sector--thanks to rising exports of refined products--as well as by agricultural and agri-food products and the mechanical and electrical engineering sector. This sector has demonstrated its ability to adapt to fluctuations in external demand by capitalising on its integration into global value chains, market and product diversification, and the recent improvement in investment indicators.
As for tourism revenue, Zenzri noted that it had risen by 4.5% up to September 30, 2026, whilst remittances from Tunisians living abroad had increased by 5% compared with the same period in 2025, reaching nearly TND 6.3 billion and TND 6.9 billion respectively.
The PM added that Tunisia had met its external commitments on time despite these mounting pressures, whilst maintaining an acceptable level of foreign exchange reserves, amounting to the equivalent of 93 days of imports on October 23, 2026, whilst the exchange rate of the Tunisian dinar remained broadly stable until the end of September 2026 and the country succeeded in maintaining its sovereign rating throughout 2026, according to assessments by international rating agencies, reflecting the Tunisian economy's ability to withstand these challenges.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Based on the results recorded so far this year and estimates regarding the trend in economic activity across the various sectors for the remainder of the year, Tunisia expects an increase in the growth rate to 2.7% for the whole of 2026, thereby confirming the continuation of the gradual recovery in economic activity; the same applies to the investment rate, which is expected to reach 15.5% of GDP, compared with 15.4% in 2025.
Besides, the current account deficit is expected to stand at around 3.9% of GDP, compared with 2.5% in 2025, reflecting persistent pressures on trade, particularly the rise in energy imports, whilst the annual inflation rate is expected to reach 5.3%. This reflects the continued relative control over the rate of price increases.
These indicators, the Premier said, show the continuation of the positive momentum in national economic activity, which should strengthen the economy's ability to adapt to economic changes and market fluctuations.
