Tunisia is steadily embedding artificial intelligence into its workforce, yet remains a mid-tier player on the global stage. According to a newly published report by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute titled “Global AI Diffusion: Q1 2026 Trends and Insights,” some 13.5% of Tunisia’s working-age population (ages 15–64) now uses generative AI tools.
This places the country 8th in Africa and 79th worldwide out of 115 assessed economies.
Steady but modest growth
The report, which draws on aggregated and anonymized telemetry data from Microsoft products, shows consistent progress for Tunisia. Adoption stood at 12.3% in the first half of 2025, rose to 12.7% in the second half, and gained another 0.8 percentage points in the first quarter of 2026 to reach 13.5%.
Tunisia’s trajectory mirrors that of its North African neighbors, with Egypt at 14.8% and Morocco at 11.7%. The broader Global South average currently sits at 15.4%, meaning Tunisia remains slightly below the regional benchmark.
Africa’s leaders and global frontrunners
Within Africa, South Africa leads by a wide margin, with 23.1% of its active population using generative AI. Namibia follows at 15.1%, while Libya and Gabon are tied at 15.0%. Egypt and Botswana share fifth place at 14.8%.
Just above Tunisia, Senegal ranks 7th on the continent at 13.9%, while Algeria (13.2%), Zambia (13.1%), and Côte d’Ivoire (13.1%) follow close behind.
Globally, the United Arab Emirates tops the list with an extraordinary 70.1% adoption rate among its working-age population.
Singapore is second at 63.4%, followed by Norway (48.6%), Ireland (48.4%), and France (47.8%). France leads the G7 nations and significantly outpaces the United States, which ranks 21st globally at 31.3%.
A widening north-south divide
The report highlights a stark and growing technological gap: the Global North now averages 27.5% AI adoption, while the Global South lags at just 15.4%. Worldwide, 26 economies have crossed the 30% adoption threshold.
