Tunisia's Unemployment Rate Slightly Decreases in Q1 2026

According to the latest indicators published by the National Institute of Statistics on Friday, Tunisia's unemployment rate has slightly decreased to 15% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 15.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Key Statistics:

• The number of unemployed individuals has decreased to 641,700, down from 645,200 in the previous quarter.
• The active population has increased to 4.268 million people in Q1 2026, up from 4.255 million in 2025, representing a growth of 13,000 individuals.
• The labor force participation rate has risen to 45.9% for individuals aged 15 and above, up from 45.4% in the previous quarter.
• The number of employed individuals has increased by 16,500 to reach 3.626 million workers.
• Men account for 69.8% of employed individuals, while women make up 30.2%.

Sectoral Breakdown:

• The services sector remains the largest employer, accounting for 52.9% of workers, followed by:
  • Manufacturing industries (19%)
  • Non-manufacturing industries (12.3%)
  • Agriculture and fishing (15.7%)

Gender Disparities:

• The unemployment rate for men has decreased to 12.3%, down from 12.6% in Q4 2025.
• The unemployment rate for women has also decreased slightly, from 20.8% to 20.7%.

Regional Variations:

• Unemployment remains higher in rural areas, reaching 16.5%, compared to 14.4% in urban areas.
• The youth unemployment rate (15-24 years old) has decreased to 37.5%, down from 38.4% in the previous quarter.

Education and Employment:

• The unemployment rate among higher education graduates has worsened, increasing from 22.5% in Q4 2025 to 24.2% in Q1 2026.
• The gap between men and women remains significant, with a unemployment rate of 14.2% among male graduates and 32% among female graduates.