Tunisia has a population of 11.9 million people, growing at a 0.69% rate (CIA, 2022). The Tunisian median age is 33.5 years (Data Reportal, 2022). 24% of the population is between 0 and 14 years, 67% is between 15 and 64 years old, and 64 years old, and 9% of the population is 65 or older (World Bank, 2021). 70.2% of total population live in urban areas, the urbanisation rate stand at 1.34% annually (CIA, 2022). The overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated. Tunis, the capital city, count 2.439 million people. The average household counts four people (Institute of Statistics, latest data available). In Tunisia, the gross enrollment rate in primary education is 113.45% for both girls and boys combined. This goes down to 92.9% in lower secondary and 32.8% in tertiary (Unesco). 81.8% of the population over 15 years can read and write; 89.6% of the men and 74.2% of women (CIA, latest data available). The unfair geographical distribution of schools and universities is the largest and most difficult obstacle to modernising the system and raising the quality of Tunisian education. The infrastructure in the periphery regions is insufficient or in a bad state. Roughly 14% of the population work in agriculture, 33% work in industry and 53% work in services (World Bank, latest data available).
Purchasing Power
The GDP per capita (PPP) in Tunisia is estimated at USD 11,594.7 (2021, World Bank). A person working in Tunisia typically earns around TND 914 per month. The latest “Households and living conditions report” from the National Institute of Statistics shows that the average annual expenditure per household stands at TND 15,561, with food and accommodation having the higher share. Nevertheless, people living in urban areas tend to have higher consumption levels than those in rural areas. The poverty rate stands at 15.2%, with the mapping designed by the INS showing disparities on the national territory: the regions with the highest poverty rate are the North-West (35.3%), the Centre-West (29.3%), and the South West and South-East (18.2 and 17.8%, respectively); whereas lower ratios are found in North-East (11.9%), Centre-East (11.7%) and Grand Tunis (6.1%) regions. The Gini index for Tunisia stands at 32.8 (World Bank, latest data available), with an unemployment rate at 16.1% in Q1 2022 (Institute of Statistics). Gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa is among the highest in Tunisia, but the country still ranks poorly in the latest Global Gender Gap Index 2022, 120th out of 146 countries surveyed. In fact, after a decade of progress, the gender gap has been widening in recent years.
Consumer Behaviour
Tunisian consumers have generally become more demanding when making purchases: they seek substantive information on the products they are interested in purchasing, their availability, the brand and the value for money. They will also compare the quality of goods with competing products before buying. They value having a variety of choices. Brand image has become fundamental in positioning a product and reassuring the consumer. Word-of-mouth from a consumer's family and friends has a particularly strong impact on the decision to buy. Local customers are not very confident with new products and brands without local representatives. Direct selling is an important phenomenon in Tunisia and the leaders in direct selling have brand representatives in every city and neighbourhood. In urban and rural areas, consumers can buy the latest products without having to travel to major cities. The competition is intensifying within modern grocery retailers. With the development of the channel, retailers are working to increase brand awareness by implementing loyalty programs and special discount offers, and by widening their product ranges.
Tunisian consumers look for the novelty in products as well as the protection of the environment. Well-educated and globally connected, Tunisia’s young consumers are expected to drive the development of a modern consumer culture in the coming years. The second-hand market for clothes is very strong.
Tunisians are one of the least digitally connected consumers across the MENA region (internet penetration stands at 66.7% - Digital 2022 report) and do not give preference to e-commerce (even less to mobile e-commerce). Online shopping is also impeded by the fact that Tunisians credit cards cannot be used for purchases made on foreign websites and the Tunisian dinar’s status as a non-convertible currency. Although laptops and desktops remain by far the most popular devices for purchasing goods online, the rising penetration of smartphones and tablets in Tunisia is set to continue stimulating growth in the number of internet users in the country. With increasing numbers of people conducting online research on potential purchases before heading to stores, it is natural that more people will take the extra step and place online orders. Despite the development of online services and payment methods, a large proportion of Tunisian consumers still prefer to pay by cash rather than using credit cards. In Tunisia, cash on delivery remains the most popular payment method.
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Tunísia: Compra i venda
