The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040

The document outlines the structural economic and political barriers facing Tunisia, noting that despite high human development indicators and urbanisation, the country struggles with youth unemployment, corruption, and regional disparities between coastal and interior areas. It argues that transitioning to an open-opportunity economy and consolidating democratic institutions are essential for future development.

• Tunisia's high levels of urbanisation, which exceed the average for other lower middle-income countries (OLMICs) in Africa and globally by approximately 20 percentage points, have improved basic infrastructure and education but have not led to the expected equitable income growth.
• Significant socio-economic disparities persist between Tunisia's coastal regions and its hinterland, with interior regions being most affected by corruption and a lack of economic opportunities, contributing to rising youth unemployment.
• Despite transitioning to a democracy following the 2010 Freedom and Dignity Revolution, Tunisia faces ongoing public disaffection due to the perceived inability of the democratic system to deliver better governance and a robust economy.
• To achieve development and transformation, Tunisia must shift from a system of privilege and cronyism toward an open-opportunity economy, which requires reforming subsidy policies, improving the business climate, and increasing oversight of government spending.

APA

Cilliers, J., & Kwasi, S. (2022). The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie, and Stellah Kwasi. The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040. Institute for Security Studies, 2022. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |last2=Kwasi |first2=Stellah |title=The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=24 June 2022 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2022rebirth, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie and Kwasi, Stellah}, title = {{The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }