ISS African Futures

This report analyzes the state of education in Tunisia, highlighting a history of strong investment and high enrollment rates contrasted with current challenges in quality, curriculum relevance, and regional disparities. It projects educational attainment trends toward 2040 and identifies systemic bottlenecks in secondary and tertiary transitions.

• Tunisia has a highly educated population relative to its region and continent, ranking second in North Africa and ninth in Africa based on average years of education for adults aged 15 and older. The adult literacy rate exceeds 80%, which is 16 percentage points higher than the African average.
• Educational attainment is projected to rise from an average of 8.2 years per adult in 2019 to 9.4 years by 2040. While gender parity is expected to improve, with men projected at 9.8 years and women at 9.4 years by 2040, women's participation in the labor force remains approximately five percentage points below the OLMICs average.
• The education system faces significant bottlenecks in upper secondary transition and completion, partly due to the requirement for French literacy in science subjects. This is reflected in a decline in baccalaureate pass rates, which fell from 52% in 2016 to 41% in 2018.
• There are critical issues regarding the quality and equity of education. 2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys indicated that 72% of children aged 7–14 lack foundational math skills and 33% lack foundational reading skills. Furthermore, educational resources and infrastructure are concentrated in Greater Tunis and coastal areas, leaving rural regions and areas like the governorate of Kairouan underserved.
• The current curriculum is viewed as disconnected from the job market and social realities, with an increasing need for English proficiency to maintain economic competitiveness. To address these gaps, Tunisia implemented a Strategic Plan for the Education Sector 2016–2020 and the Tertiary Education for Employability Project in 2016.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). ISS African Futures. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. ISS African Futures. n.d. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=ISS African Futures |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndiss, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{ISS African Futures}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }