According to data published this morning by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), Tunisia’s unemployment rate reached 15.7% in the first quarter of 2025. This equates to 664,500 unemployed individuals.
However, the INS points out that the figures for the fourth quarter of 2024 are not yet available, as these will be published alongside the results of the 2024 general population and housing census.
Compared with the third quarter of 2024, male unemployment rose slightly to 13.6% (previously 13.3%), while the female unemployment rate fell more sharply, from 22.1% to 20.3%.
Unemployment among higher education graduates has also improved. It fell from 25% in Q3 2024 to 23.5% at the start of 2025. Specifically, this rate was 13.6% for men and 30.7% for women.
The unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 has also dropped. It has decreased from 40.5% in the previous quarter to 37.7%. The INS points out that this decline affects both sexes, with rates of 38.4% for men and 36.3% for women.
Meanwhile, the working population increased to 4.233 million in the first quarter of 2025, up from 4.179 million three months earlier, an increase of 54,300 individuals. This is made up of 2.899 million men (68.5%) and 1.334 million women (31.5%).
This increase was accompanied by a slight rise in the activity rate, from 46.2% to 46.4%.
Finally, the sectoral breakdown of the working population remains stable: 54% work in services, 20% in manufacturing, 12% in non-manufacturing, and 14% in agriculture and fishing.
