Recent Claims of Tunisia's Debt Repayment Spark Confusion
A recent statement claiming that Tunisia has already paid off its entire external debt for 2025 has caused confusion and prompted several economists to react. In response, economist Aram Belhadj published a clarification on his social media platforms, specifying that Tunisia still needs to repay approximately 520 million dinars (Mtnd) before the end of 2025, particularly to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Afreximbank.
Detailed Repayment Schedule
The following is the detailed repayment schedule:
- 61 Mtnd in October 2025 (IMF)
- 111 Mtnd in November 2025 (IMF)
- 140 Mtnd in December 2025 (IMF)
- 204 Mtnd in December 2025 (Afreximbank) This totals approximately 516 Mtnd still to be repaid over the last three months of the year.
Budget Law 2025 Provisions
For reference, the 2025 budget law provides for the repayment of:
- 8,490 Mtnd for the capital of the external debt
- 1,924 Mtnd for interest
External Debt as a Percentage of Total Public Debt
It is worth noting that the external debt accounts for 42% of Tunisia's total public debt.
Central Bank of Tunisia Figures
According to figures from the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), the external debt service, including capital and interest, reached 10,549.2 Mtnd as of the end of September 2025.
