Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2025: Tunisia Ranks 62nd Globally
The "Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2025" report provides an in-depth analysis of 118 countries' positions in the global energy transition, including Tunisia. Ranked 62nd with a global Energy Transition Index (ETI) score of 54.6, Tunisia slightly outperforms the regional average of the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAP), which stands at 53.2. This overall performance is the result of its System Performance (SP) score of 59.7 and its Transition Readiness (TR) score of 46.9.
Despite a slight improvement in system performance globally, particularly in terms of equity and sustainability, energy security has stagnated. For the MENAP region, which includes Tunisia, energy security has even experienced a slight decline in 2025 (-0.5% year-over-year). The report identifies persistent vulnerabilities in this dimension, particularly limited flexibility of grids and insufficient investments in infrastructure. The flexibility of the electrical system, crucial for managing the volatility of renewable energies and responding to demand shocks, has deteriorated by 1.3% year-over-year in 2025 globally. For the MENAP region, challenges also include low diversification and inflexibility of the grid. These structural constraints are all the more important as energy systems are put under pressure by increasing digitization, with the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers increasing electricity demand.
The Weight of Fossil Fuels and Subsidies
Another major challenge for the MENAP region, which concerns Tunisia, is the structural dependence on fossil fuels and subsidies. Although the region has shown improvement in sustainability from a low base, clean energy still represents a limited share of total supply. The need to implement gradual energy price reforms is highlighted as a key strategy for the region to balance equity and sustainability. Without significant diversification of supply and improvement of grid flexibility, energy systems in the region, including Tunisia's, remain vulnerable to disruptions and may see their sustainability progress slow down.
In summary, although Tunisia performs slightly better than the regional average, it shares the fundamental challenges of grid flexibility and dependence on fossil fuels that characterize the MENAP region.
