Tunisian Industrial Sector Sees Mixed Results in 2025
The Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII) has released its 2025 economic bulletin, revealing a mixed year for the Tunisian industrial sector.
Key Figures
- Declared investments in the industry stood at 2,484.3 million Tunisian dinars (Mtnd), a slight decrease of 2.1% compared to the previous year.
- The number of potential jobs created decreased by 16.7%, totaling 37,329 positions.
- However, the number of projects increased by 17%, rising from 3,340 to 3,909 declarations.
Notable Trends
The standout feature of 2025 is the significant growth in creation projects. These projects increased by 22.6% in number (3,276 projects) and by 9.8% in value (1,044.4 Mtnd), now representing 42% of total declared investments. This trend indicates a renewal of the industrial fabric, driven by new entrants.
Sector Performance
Several sectors contributed significantly to the overall investment performance. Notably:
- The leather and footwear industries saw a 167.1% increase to 39 Mtnd.
- The construction materials, ceramics, and glass industries grew by 21.4% to 256 Mtnd.
- The mechanical and electrical industries increased by 13.2% to 551 Mtnd.
- The agro-food industries rose by 8.4% to 1,018.8 Mtnd.
In contrast, sectors like chemicals and textile-clothing recorded significant declines in investments, with decreases of 43.7% to 164.9 Mtnd and 22.6% to 198.3 Mtnd, respectively.
Market Orientation and Investment Origin
The majority of activity remains focused on the local market, which captures 78% of investments. However, the fully export-oriented regime shows good health, with a 13.7% increase in investments (534.5 Mtnd), despite a slight decline in associated employment.
By origin of capital, 100% Tunisian investment is strengthening, with a 19.7% increase in the number of projects and a 6.4% increase in value (2,047.8 Mtnd). In contrast, mixed and foreign investments have declined significantly, both in terms of project numbers and invested amounts, with decreases of 43.3% and 18.3% in value, respectively. This trend warrants in-depth analysis.
