Housing in Tunisia: A Fourfold Increase Between 1975 and 2024
The number of housing units in Tunisia has quadrupled, rising from 1,021,800 units to over 4 million between 1975 and 2024. Of this total, 80.7% of housing units are occupied, while 19.3% are vacant, according to a report titled "Flash Logements" published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Growth of the Housing Market
Between 2014 and 2024, the housing market grew by 975,700 units, compared to 3,289,900 units recorded in 2014. This represents an average annual increase of 97,600 housing units. The 2024 census counted 3,095,900 housing units in urban areas (72.6%), compared to 1,169,800 in rural areas (27.4%).
Urban vs. Rural Housing
According to the INS, the trend was reversed in 1975, with 557,300 rural housing units compared to 464,500 urban units. It was not until 1984 that the number of urban housing units surpassed that of rural units, and since then, the gap has continued to widen.
Regional Variations
Over the intercensal period of 2014-2024, the governorate of Nabeul recorded the largest increase, with 85,100 new housing units, closely followed by Sfax with 80,900 units. Significant increases were also observed in Sousse (78,600 housing units) and Tunis (61,700). In contrast, the smallest increases were recorded in Tozeur (7,500 housing units), Kef (11,900), and Siliana (13,300).
Types of Housing
The data shows that semi-detached or multi-story housing is the most common type of housing nationwide, accounting for nearly half of all housing units (49.1%). Villas or duplexes come next, with 26.1%. Traditional housing, such as houch, dar arbi, and borj, still accounts for 15.9% of the housing stock. Apartments remain a minority (8.4%), while rudimentary housing is very rare (0.5%).
Mode of Occupation
The Institute indicates that 3,440,207 housing units are occupied at the time of the census. These housing units represent 80.7% of the total housing stock: 82.4% in urban areas and 75.9% in rural areas. Two other categories of housing are also significant: secondary housing or housing made available to households residing abroad (383,100 units), and vacant housing (424,900 units). These two categories represent 9% and 10% of the total, respectively.
Access to Basic Amenities
The data shows that almost all housing units in Tunisia are connected to the electricity grid (97.7% nationwide, including 97.9% in urban areas and 97% in rural areas). However, there are disparities between urban and rural areas in terms of access to water and sanitation. The SONEDE water utility supplies 96.3% of urban housing units, but only 61.4% of rural units. On average, 87.3% of housing units in the country are connected to the water network. The ONAS sanitation network covers 82% of urban housing units, but only 8% of rural units, resulting in a national coverage rate of 62.9%.
Energy Sources
The use of solar energy remains marginal, with only 3% of housing units benefiting from it, with a slight advantage for urban areas (3.5%) over rural areas (1.4%).
