The global organization StartupBlink has released its updated 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Index, providing an in-depth analysis of startup ecosystems worldwide.
The report evaluates over 1,400 cities and 100 countries, offering detailed national and city rankings alongside regional and sector-specific insights.
Leveraging data from partners like Crunchbase, SEMRush, and BrightData, it serves as a critical resource for startups, policymakers, and investors making location-based decisions.
The Tunisian ecosystem is ranked 82nd. With a score of 0.787, Tunisia is in the top 10 in Africa (7th), having gained eight places compared with the previous edition and representing annual growth of 15.3%.
Within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Tunisia is ranked 14th; however, the report emphasizes that this progress is insufficient given the growing competition from other North African countries.
In fact, Tunisia’s growth remains the lowest in the region at under 15%, which restricts its ambitions in such a competitive regional context.
Tunis, the capital, moved up 18 places to 327th in the world. This brings it closer to the top 300, with a local ecosystem growing steadily at over 22% per year.
Sousse is ranked 1,233rd in the world. Overall, Tunisian startups raised around $15.2 million in 2024.
Meanwhile, Egypt has confirmed its dominance in North Africa, with an ecosystem almost three times as powerful as Tunisia’s. It ranks 65th worldwide and 7th in the MENA region, with Cairo leading the way and achieving a score far higher than Alexandria’s.
In 2024, Egypt is set to achieve its best regional ranking since 2021, with its start-ups having raised 281.6 million dollars.
Second in North Africa behind Tunisia, Morocco ranked 88th in the world with a score of 0.687. In 2024, it attracted $176.9 million in funding.
It should be noted that none of the other countries in the North African region feature in the ranking. North Africa recorded the lowest annual growth rate of the continent’s major regions, at 15.7%.
South Africa retains its leading position on the continent (52nd in the world), ahead of Kenya (58th), Egypt and Nigeria (65th), with Cape Verde (75th) closing the top five.
The most powerful start-up ecosystems worldwide are found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada and Sweden.
In terms of cities, San Francisco remains the world leader, closely followed by New York, London, Los Angeles and Beijing.
These cities stand out for their entrepreneurial dynamism and appropriate infrastructure.
In the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates dominates the rankings, occupying 21st place worldwide thanks to its favorable environment for startups, economic openness, and incentive policies.
