UNU-WIDER Tunisia's Development Experience: A Success Story?

Tunisia’s recent growth and development performance relative to countries in its region, and relative to countries at similar levels of development in other parts of the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, have been notable. An analysis of Tunisia’s path to development reveals that the country’s development strategy relied primarily on diversifying its production and trade and enhancing its human capital with emphasis on women’s empowerment. Family planning programmes that have caused fertility to decline significantly are a hallmark of Tunisia’s development strategy. This paper reviews Tunisia’s experience, identifies the major challenges and threats to the viability of its development strategy, and pinpoints lessons for other countries.