Tunisia (Tunisian Republic)

Tunisia Tunisian Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	61st best
Capital	Tunis
Land Area	155 360km21
Location	Africa, The Mediterranean
Population	11.6m2
Life Expectancy	73.77yrs (2017)3
GNI	$10 258 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	TN, TUN, 7885
Internet Domain	.tn6
Currency	Dinar (TND)7
Telephone	+2168

1. Overview
2. Tunisia National and Social Development
3. Tunisia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Tunisia's Health
6. Tunisia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Tunisia's Modernity and Learning
8. Tunisia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012, and released a second working draft in December 2012. The interim government has proposed presidential and parliamentary elections be held in 2013.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From the sands of the Sahara to golden-hued beaches, tangled Tunis alleys to scattered Roman ruins, Tunisia is a country that intrigues and charms at every turn. It´s but a slim wedge of North Africa´s vast expanse, but Tunisia has enough history, cultural diversity and extremes of landscape to fill a country many times its size. With a sand-fringed, jasmine-scented coast, it´s a destination usually equated with Mediterranean sun holidays. But get beyond the beaches and you´ll find stunning Roman sites, forested hinterland, Saharan dunes and mountain oases, all of which can be experienced in a few days.

The country´s tourist sector has struggled mightily since the historic Jasmine Revolution of 2011. Isolated incidents of instability grab international headlines, but it´s essentially business as usual. Tunis, the capital, continues to offer an enthralling mix of tradition and modernity, Islamic serenity and seaside hedonism. Surprisingly, while much of the tourist industry founders, there´s a number of new guesthouses and small hotels popping up throughout the country. Now, more than ever, Tunisians will welcome you with open arms.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Tunisia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
95	Ecuador	0.740
96	Mongolia	0.739
97=	Egypt	0.731
97=	Tunisia	0.731
99=	Fiji	0.730
99=	Suriname	0.730
101	Uzbekistan	0.727
102=	Dominica	0.720
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
105	Algeria	$10 800
106	Mongolia	$10 588
107	Ecuador	$10 312
108	Tunisia	$10 258
109	Fiji	$9 980
110	Iraq	$9 977
111	Jordan	$9 924
112	Lebanon	$9 526
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
	...
58	Albania	77.6
59	Macedonia	78.1
60	Jamaica	78.4
61	Tunisia	78.4
62	Dominica	78.6
63	Northern Cyprus	79.1
64	Ukraine	79.5
65	Bosnia & Herzegovina	79.7
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.8
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Tunisia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Tunisia's population is predicted to rise to 12.21 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.06. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
73	Zimbabwe	14.4m
74	Guinea	12.4m
75	Rwanda	12.3m
76	Tunisia	11.6m
77	Benin	11.5m
78	Belgium	11.5m
79	Bolivia	11.4m
80	Cuba	11.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
71	Iran	73.9
72	Macedonia	73.8
73	Nicaragua	73.8
74	Tunisia	73.8
75	Lithuania	73.7
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
10	Bangladesh	1.95
11	Vietnam	1.94
12	Georgia	2.06
13	Tunisia	2.06
14	Lebanon	2.08
15	Kuwait	2.09
16	Turkey	1.88
17	Cape Verde	1.88
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
110	N. Korea	17.8
111	Turkey	18.0
112	Vietnam	18.3
113	Tunisia	18.6
114	Azerbaijan	18.7
115	Colombia	18.8
116	Antigua & Barbuda	19.0
117	St Vincent & Grenadines	19.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
167	Nigeria	0.6%
168	Algeria	0.6%
169	Mongolia	0.6%
170	Tunisia	0.5%
171	Egypt	0.5%
172	Guatemala	0.5%
173	Cambodia	0.5%
174	Honduras	0.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
90	Slovenia	6.5%
91	Kiribati	6.5%
92	Bhutan	6.3%
93	Tunisia	6.3%
94	Finland	6.2%
95	Singapore	6.1%
96	Guatemala	6.1%
97	Brunei	6.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #slavery #tolerance #tunisia #tunisia_slavery

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
107	Burkina Faso	94.9
108	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	95.1
109	Sri Lanka	95.2
110	Tunisia	95.5
111	Samoa	95.7
112	India	97.2
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

Tunisia is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Tunisia does better than average for combatting modern slavery₁₉, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀ (one of the best in Africa), opposing gender inequality₂₁ (the lowest in Africa) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂. Tunisia doesn't do so well in other areas. Tunisia does worse than average in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₃ (yet still amongst the lowest in Africa), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄, supporting press freedom₂₅, its average Freedom in the World rating and in freethought₂₆. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇ (amongst the worst in Africa) and in LGBT equality₂₈. Some recent changes are worrying; granting amnesty for state officials previously accused of corruption₂₉ can only ever cause further corruption in the future, leading to degradation of national life. The needless discriminatory law that criminalizes sodomy continues to result in prison spaces being filled by people who have done nothing other than conduct private and consensual sexual relations₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Tunisia

5. Tunisia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #tunisia #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
4	Morocco	91.7
5	Cape Verde	96.4
6	Algeria	99.2
7	Libya	103.8
8	Sao Tome & Principe	113.0
9	Botswana	116.8
10	Djibouti	118.5
11	Ghana	118.5
12	S. Africa	119.0
13	Namibia	121.0
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
61	Estonia	77.1
62	Albania	79.0
63	Hungary	79.5
64	Tunisia	80.2
65	Grenada	81.0
66	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.5
67	Uruguay	81.6
68	Serbia	82.2
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Tunisia does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Tunisia comes in the best 20 when it comes to its fertility rate₁₄ (the best in Africa). It does better than average in terms of its adolescent birth rate₃₂ (the best in Africa), its alcohol consumption rate₃₃, its immunizations take-up₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₅. But, things could still be better. Tunisia does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate₃₆, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₇ (still good for Africa) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₈ (one of the highest in Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Tunisia improved by +5.9yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Tunisia is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 7.1 in 1965.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
71	Iran	73.9
72	Macedonia	73.8
73	Nicaragua	73.8
74	Tunisia	73.8
75	Lithuania	73.7
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
37	Chad	1.6
38	Tuvalu	1.7
39=	Madagascar	1.9
39=	Tunisia	1.9
39=	Bahrain	1.9
42=	Qatar	2.0
42=	Nepal	2.0
42=	Singapore	2.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
10	Bangladesh	1.95
11	Vietnam	1.94
12	Georgia	2.06
13	Tunisia	2.06
14	Lebanon	2.08
15	Kuwait	2.09
16	Turkey	1.88
17	Cape Verde	1.88
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better36
Pos.		Total %36
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
88	Israel	20.4%
89	Philippines	20.5%
90	Uruguay	20.5%
91	Tunisia	20.6%
92	S. Africa	20.7%
93	Mauritius	21.0%
94	Algeria	21.2%
95=	Netherlands	21.3%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
89	Azerbaijan	89
90	Uganda	90
91	Chile	91
92	Tunisia	92
93	Bahrain	93
94	Philippines	94
95	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
96	Namibia	96
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better38
Pos.		1976 %38
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
115	Belize	32.4
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	32.6
117	Colombia	32.7
118	Tunisia	32.8
119	Cyprus	33.0
120	Moldova	33.4
121	Peru	33.5
122	Netherlands	33.7
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
120	Guyana	28.0%
121	Russia	28.0%
122	Greenland	28.2%
123	Tunisia	28.3%
124	Uzbekistan	28.5%
125	Honduras	28.5%
126	UK	28.7%
127	Brazil	28.8%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better32
Pos.		2022 Per 100032
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
23	Andorra	5.9
24	Spain	6.3
25	Canada	6.6
26	Tunisia	6.6
27	Maldives	6.8
28	Cyprus	6.8
29	Qatar	6.9
30	Monaco	6.9
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better34
Pos.		2015 Avg %34
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
50	Malaysia	96.0
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56=	Qatar	95.6
56=	Armenia	95.6
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better35
Pos.		Total Per 100035
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
93	Panama	17.26
94	St Vincent & Grenadines	17.32
95	St Lucia	17.37
96	Tunisia	18.08
97	Peru	18.09
98	Jamaica	18.79
99	Samoa	18.81
100	Nauru	18.87
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

6. Tunisia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
8	Kenya	57.9
9	Mauritius	58.1
10	Ghana	58.6
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
14	Ethiopia	61.7
15	Cameroon	62.6
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
26	Thailand	59.5
27	Spain	59.5
28	Austria	59.6
29	Tunisia	60.1
30	Vietnam	60.6
31	Niger	61.3
32	Greece	61.4
33	Tanzania	61.6
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Tunisia is positioned 29th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Tunisia does better than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃ (but bad for Africa), its environmental performance₄₄ (one of the best in Africa) and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₅ (but high for Africa). But, things still need to improve in Tunisia. Tunisia falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₆ (one of the lowest in Africa).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better42
Pos.		Total42
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
46	Switzerland	6.0%
47	Belarus	5.9%
48	Latvia	5.2%
49	Tunisia	5.2%
50	Swaziland	5.1%
51	Thailand	4.7%
52	Poland	4.6%
53	Macedonia	4.6%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better44
Pos.		201844
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
55	Cuba	63.4
56	Panama	62.7
57	Tonga	62.5
58	Tunisia	62.4
59	Azerbaijan	62.3
60	S. Korea	62.3
61	Kuwait	62.3
62	Jordan	62.2
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better45
Pos.		2022 Avg45
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
60	Germany	0.91
61	Palestine	0.91
62	Cyprus	0.92
63	Tunisia	0.93
64	Israel	0.94
65	Djibouti	0.94
66	France	0.95
67	Portugal	0.95
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
27	Cyprus	71%
28	Japan	70%
29	UK	70%
30	Tunisia	70%
31	Austria	70%
32	Venezuela	70%
33	Kazakhstan	70%
34	Jordan	69%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Tunisia was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day and one of 18 countries who enacted Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in its first year (1975).

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better46
Pos.		2011 %46
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
131	Kuwait	19.6%
132	Zimbabwe	19.6%
133	Latvia	19.5%
134	Tunisia	19.3%
135	Czechia	16.0%
136	Estonia	15.9%
137	China	15.1%
138	Denmark	14.9%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better43
Pos.		2021 kg43
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
48	Thailand	26.0
49	Swaziland	27.1
50	Malawi	27.4
51	Tunisia	27.8
52	Sao Tome & Principe	28.3
53	Maldives	28.8
54	Egypt	29.1
55	Laos	29.8
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Tunisia's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
4	Seychelles	80.1
5	Egypt	80.5
6	Libya	82.0
7	Kenya	96.4
8	Botswana	96.5
9	Morocco	97.9
10	Algeria	100.2
11	Gabon	108.2
12	Uganda	109.8
13	Ghana	110.3
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
66	Peru	68.2
67	Moldova	68.9
68	Costa Rica	69.8
69	Tunisia	70.8
70	China	71.4
71	Fiji	71.5
72	Cuba	72.8
73	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2951
2	Israel	4.1151
3	Japan	3.5851
	...
45=	S. Africa	0.7352
45=	Serbia	0.7353
45=	Hong Kong	0.7352
48=	Tunisia	0.6852
48=	Egypt	0.6853
50	Belarus	0.6753
51	Mali	0.6654
52	Bulgaria	0.6553
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better55
Pos.		201855
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
105	Costa Rica	52.9%
106	Colombia	52.0%
107	Ecuador	51.9%
108	Tunisia	51.8%
109	India	51.6%
110	Kuwait	51.5%
111	Congo, DR	50.7%
112	Macedonia	49.8%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better56
Pos.		2021 Years56
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
49	Brazil	15.6
50	Georgia	15.6
51	St Kitts & Nevis	15.4
52	Tunisia	15.4
53	Peru	15.4
54	Kuwait	15.3
55	Japan	15.2
56	Liechtenstein	15.2
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
69	Senegal	69
70	China	70
71	Burundi	71
72	Tunisia	72
73	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	73
74	Chile	74
75	Argentina	75
76	Costa Rica	76
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better57
Pos.		2015 Score57
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
63	Brazil	1185
64	Peru	1182
65	Lebanon	1129
66	Tunisia	1114
67	Macedonia	1107
68	Kosovo	1087
69	Algeria	1086
70	Dominican Rep.	1018
	Africa Avg	1100
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better58
Pos.		2018 %58
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
70=	Colombia	77
71=	Dominican Rep.	78
71=	Iran	78
71=	Tunisia	78
74=	Bangladesh	80
74=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better59
Pos.		200659
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
86=	Saudi Arabia	84
87=	Algeria	83
87=	Libya	83
87=	Tunisia	83
87=	Oman	83
87=	Syria	83
92=	India	82
92=	Bangladesh	82
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better60
Pos.		201660
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
98	Uzbekistan	51%
99	Armenia	50%
100	Iran	49%
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103=	Paraguay	47%
103=	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better61
Pos.		201261
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
23=	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25=	Turkey	46
25=	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
29	Rwanda	51
30	Russia	52
	Africa Avg	45.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better62
Pos.		2017 Ratio62
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
115=	Kazakhstan	0.0
115=	New Caledonia	0.0
115=	Maldives	0.0
118=	Tunisia	0.0
118=	Tuvalu	0.0
118=	Marshall Islands	0.0
118=	Georgia	0.0
118=	Swaziland	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better63
Pos.		202463
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
79	Egypt	42.5%
80	Panama	41.6%
81	Paraguay	41.2%
82	Tunisia	40.4%
83	Bangladesh	40.3%
84	Kyrgyzstan	39.5%
85	Jamaica	38.9%
86	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.8%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Tunisia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)64
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank64
1	Mauritius	50.2
2	Seychelles	66.3
3	Tunisia	76.3
4	Morocco	81.8
5	Ghana	85.3
6	S. Africa	86.6
7	Botswana	87.0
8	Senegal	90.8
9	Egypt	92.1
10	Namibia	92.2
11	Algeria	93.6
12	Sao Tome & Principe	93.9
13	Zambia	96.1
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=54.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)64
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank64
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
70	Panama	75.0
71	Macedonia	75.3
72	Belize	76.3
73	Tunisia	76.3
74	Ukraine	76.4
75	Dominica	77.1
76	Brazil	77.5
77	Indonesia	78.0
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better65
Pos.		2022 %65
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
113=	Latvia	29.0
113=	Italy	29.0
113=	Armenia	29.0
116	Tunisia	28.0
117	Laos	27.0
118	Portugal	26.0
119	Lebanon	24.0
120	Egypt	23.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better66
Pos.		2022 Points66
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
82=	Kuwait	42.0
82=	Hungary	42.0
84	Kosovo	41.0
85=	Tunisia	40.0
85=	Suriname	40.0
85=	Macedonia	40.0
85=	Maldives	40.0
85=	India	40.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better67
Pos.		2024 Score67
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
110	Niger	4.7
111	Ukraine	4.7
112	Morocco	4.6
113	Tunisia	4.6
114	Mauritania	4.5
115	Kenya	4.5
116	Uganda	4.5
117	Gambia	4.4
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
90	Peru	90
91	Jordan	91
92	Haiti	92
93	Tunisia	93
94	Papua New Guinea	94
95	Belarus	95
96	Mongolia	96
97	Madagascar	97
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better68
Pos.		Total Q68
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
121	Tanzania	71.8
122=	Dominican Rep.	70.5
122=	Zambia	70.5
124	Tunisia	70.2
125	Azerbaijan	69.3
126	Gambia	69.0
127	Uganda	67.8
128	Cape Verde	66.7
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
67	Lesotho	67
68	Panama	68
69	New Zealand	69
70	Tunisia	70
71	Montenegro	71
72	Ukraine	72
73	Chile	73
74	Macedonia	74
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better69
Pos.		2023 Score69
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
78	Bolivia	2.00
79	Nepal	2.01
80	China	2.01
81	Tunisia	2.01
82	Equatorial Guinea	2.01
83	Dominican Rep.	2.02
84=	Morocco	2.02
84=	Angola	2.02
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
6	Uruguay	6
7	Indonesia	7
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
104	Armenia	104
105	Suriname	105
106	Namibia	106
107	Tunisia	107
108	Cape Verde	108
109	China	109
110	Kazakhstan	110
111	Jordan	111
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better70
Pos.		2019 Score70
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
97	Canada	3.59
98	Belgium	3.64
99	Angola	3.78
100	Tunisia	3.94
101	Tajikistan	3.95
102	Uganda	3.96
103	Mexico	4.08
104	Venezuela	4.10
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better71
Pos.		Total %71
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
33	UK	0.50%
34	Iraq	0.55%
35	Austria	0.60%
36	Tunisia	0.65%
37	Lithuania	0.67%
38	Israel	0.73%
39	Greece	0.75%
40	Sweden	0.80%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better72
Pos.		201972
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
69	Argentina	8.60
70=	Barbados	8.70
70=	Armenia	8.70
72=	Tunisia	9.00
72=	Turkey	9.00
74	Libya	9.10
75	Iran	9.20
76	Mauritius	9.40
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better73
Pos.		2023 %73
1	Slovakia	24.1%74
2	Slovenia	24.3%74
3	Belarus	24.4%75
	...
65=	Macedonia	33.5%76
65=	Georgia	33.5%77
67	Palestine	33.7%78
68=	Tunisia	33.7%74
68=	Jordan	33.7%79
68=	Switzerland	33.7%75
71=	Spain	33.9%74
71=	Romania	33.9%74
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Tunisia - only for 7 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better80
Pos.		2018 Severity80
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
11	Thailand	.003
12	Moldova	.004
13	Palestine	.004
14	Tunisia	.005
15	St Lucia	.007
16	Libya	.007
17	Algeria	.008
18	Kyrgyzstan	.008
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_tunisia #religiosity #secularisation #tunisia

Religiosity (2018)58
Pos.		Lower is better %58
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
70=	Colombia	77
71=	Dominican Rep.	78
71=	Iran	78
71=	Tunisia	78
74=	Bangladesh	80
74=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
79=	Palestine	86
79=	Uganda	86
79=	Chad	86
79=	Niger	86
83=	Kenya	87
83=	Mozambique	87
85=	Congo, DR	88
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₁:

	2010	2020
Muslim	99.4%	99.3%
Unaffiliated	0.37%	0.441%
Christian	0.229%	0.247%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Other	None	None
Hindu	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 99.6% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 78% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (Islam - official) 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%₈₂.

Freedom of Religion and Belief:

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Tunisia: 4.3. Freedom of Thought