Female employment rate in Tunisia
Tunisia: Female employment rate was 21.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Female employment rate in Tunisia, 1989–2023
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, female employment rate in Tunisia stood at 21.2%.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Tunisia peaked at 39.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 1989.
Tunisia ranks 163rd of 172 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Female employment rate in Tunisia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 15.9% | — |
| 1994 | 18.7% | +18.1% |
| 1997 | 19.6% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 20.0% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 20.7% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 20.8% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 20.8% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 20.1% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 18.1% | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 19.2% | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 19.7% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 16.5% | -16.1% |
| 2015 | 20.3% | +22.6% |
| 2016 | 20.4% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 20.5% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 21.0% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 39.8% | +89.4% |
| 2022 | 21.8% | -45.3% |
| 2023 | 21.2% | -2.6% |
Tunisia compared with similar countries
- Tunisia's 21.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 45.1%, 47% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Tunisia's 21.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.6%, 98% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Female employment rate in Tunisia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +89.4% | 21.0% | 39.8% |
| 2022 | -45.3% | 39.8% | 21.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.9% | 15.9% | 15.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 19.1% | 18.7% | 19.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.5% | 20.0% | 20.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 19.5% | 16.5% | 21.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 27.6% | 21.2% | 39.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Tunisia
More work & labour data for Tunisia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7093 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7225 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6962 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6752 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 11,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 2,745 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,323 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,329 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 10,652 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment rate in Tunisia?
- Female employment rate in Tunisia was 21.2% in 2023, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Tunisia?
- The highest recorded value was 39.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Tunisia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 1989.
- How does Tunisia rank for female employment rate?
- Tunisia ranks 163rd out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Tunisia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tunisia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.