The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040

This introduction to a special report by the Institute for Security Studies outlines the socio-economic and political landscape of Tunisia, highlighting the tension between its strong human development indicators and pervasive economic frustration. It identifies the need for structural economic rebalancing and the consolidation of democratic institutions to achieve sustainable development by 2040.

• Tunisia possesses strong human capital and human development indicators, including progressive reproductive health policies and high levels of education, which distinguish it from many of its North African neighbors.
• Despite positive macroeconomic indicators, Tunisia has suffered from systemic inequality, characterized by high youth unemployment, corruption, and a significant developmental gap between coastal regions and the hinterland.
• The 'Freedom and Dignity Revolution' of December 2010 was driven by a closed political and economic system dominated by a small group of insiders centered around the presidency.
• While Tunisia is the only country in its region to have transitioned to a democracy following the 2010 events, it currently faces widespread disaffection regarding the ability of democratic governance to improve livelihoods and the economy.
• Tunisia's urbanization levels are approximately 20 percentage points higher than the global and African average for other lower middle-income countries (OLMICs); while this has improved infrastructure and education, it has not led to the expected equitable income growth.

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} }