Tunisia is a partner country for German development cooperation. GTZ has been working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Tunisia since 1975.

Tunisia has an average per capita income of over 3,800 US dollars per annum and is therefore classified as a middle-income country.

Since 1990, the country has generated average growth of approximately 5% of its GDP per annum. Development has largely taken place in the agricultural sector. As it accounts for a large number of jobs and is a major supplier to the food industry, the sector is of great significance in economic and socio-political terms. However, the contribution to GDP made by industry (textiles, leather, food, electrical engineering) and the service sector has increased disproportionately in recent years and has overtaken that of agriculture. Due to its economic growth and political stability, Tunisia is one of the most important partners in the Barcelona Process and for the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Yet these positive development indicators are accompanied by problematic trends.  The country’s economic and demographic development, rapid urbanisation, resource-intensive industrialisation and the expansion of irrigated agriculture have placed a considerable burden on the environment and have heavily depleted natural resources, a situation that is set to worsen with climate change.

The Tunisian Government is trying to counteract these trends through the implementation of reform and development plans. Its aims are to lower unemployment and to improve the competitiveness of domestic industry, as well as to protect and sparingly use natural resources and adapt to climate change. 

German development cooperation supports Tunisia’s reform and development plans for the priority areas economic development and environmental protection.

As part of GTZ’s work in Tunisia, special emphasis is placed on supporting the Tunisian Government in its efforts to encourage sustainable development in the country by:

• promoting economic development, especially through the strengthening of industrial innovation processes and entrepreneurship;
• implementing the country‘s environmental policies, agendas for sustainable development and resource use and implementing the international Climate Change Convention.

The GTZ Office in Tunis was established in 1999.

With an average annual per capita income of over US$ 2100 Tunisia is a middle-income country. Since 1990 the country has generated average growth of approximately five percent per annum. Development has largely taken place in the agricultural sector. As it accounts for a large number of jobs and is a major supplier to the food industry, the sector is of great significance in economic and socio-political terms.

However, the contribution to GDP made by industry (textiles, leather, food, electrical engineering) and the service sector has increased disproportionately in recent years and has that of overtaken agriculture. Yet these initially rather positive development indicators are accompanied by problematic trends. The country’s economic and demographic development, its rapid urbanisation, resource-intensive industrialisation and the expansion of irrigation agriculture have placed a considerable burden on the environment and have heavily depleted natural resources.

The most major challenges facing Tunisia’s economic policy-makers are to lower unemployment and improve the competitiveness of domestic industry. The economic reform process is influenced by Tunisia’s Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). Supported by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the EU, since 1996 the Tunisian Government has been implementing an economic liberalisation and structural adjustment programme. GTZ was contracted by the BMZ to act as a partner for these adjustment measures.

Since 1999, GTZ has maintained an office in Tunis.