Housing Finance in Tunisia

Overview

This profile is also available in French here.

To download a pdf version of the full 2021 Tunisia country profile, click here.

The population of Tunisia was 11 818 618 in 2 020. Only 30% of the population live in rural areas. With 69.5% of the population living in urban areas, Tunisia is one of the most urbanised countries in the continent. The high degree of urbanisation is argued to be a consequence of spatial inequalities and policies as well as of rural-urban migration waves caused by socio-economic circumstances. Tunis, the country’s largest city, with 2 365 201 inhabitants, attracts people from rural areas because it has more employment opportunities and provides access to basic ser vices (95% of urban households have access to water and 98% have access to basic sanitation).

Years of Political dysfunction and economic stagnation have exasperated and amplified informal housing growth in urban areas. In 2011, right after the Jasmine revolution, the level of urban informality reached 45%. In 2020, the economic situation is such that urban informality is no longer solely associated with the poor and working class as more middle-class households opt for informal housing.

Economic activity in Tunisia has slowed significantly due to the COVID-19 crisis. The GDP growth rate declined by 8.6%, while the inflation rate rose to 5.6%, in 2020. The political crisis coupled with a challenging economic situation, worsened by the pandemic, have raised the cost of living and along with that the cost of land and building materials.

The political instability of the country is far from subsiding, as reflected in President Kaïs Saied’s recent executive action. On 25 July 2021, the President dismissed the head of government, freezing the activity of the assembly. This political turmoil has created a climate of uncertainty

Find out more information on the housing finance sector of Tunisia, including key stakeholders, important policies and housing affordability:

Each year, CAHF publishes its Housing Finance in Africa Yearbook. The profile above is from the 2021 edition, which has up-to-date profiles for 55 African countries.

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