The past year marks a more complex turning point for Tunisia’s external balances. The current account deficit stood at 4,350 million dinars (MD), or 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
By way of comparison, the year 2024 had closed with a more contained deficit of 2,576 MD, representing 1.6% of GDP.
This deterioration of nearly one percentage point of GDP reflects the persistent challenges the national economy faces in balancing its exchanges with foreign countries.
The main driver of this widening is the worsening trade deficit. The import bill continues to weigh heavily on the balance, outpacing the dynamics of exports.
This situation generally reflects the country’s dependence on imports of raw materials, energy and capital goods.
If the deficit did not deteriorate further, it is thanks to the strength of two historical pillars of the Tunisian economy, namely tourism receipts, which continued their growth trajectory in 2025 and remittances from the Tunisian Diaspora, which remain a vital source of foreign currency, acting as a natural buffer against the deficit in the trade of goods.
