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INTRODUCTION
The population of Tunisia numbers approximately10.216.000 million inhabitants. The demographic
growth rate is 1.08 % ( 2007 figures).
Arab, Berber, African, and European influences have helped shape the unique Tunisian cultural identity. The overwhelming
majority of the population is Muslim, and the official religion is Sunni Islam. Christian and Jewish communities
practice their faith freely and contribute to Tunisia's rich cultural diversity.
URBAN POPULATION
Tunisia's population is over 65% urban. The greater area, Tunis with a population more than 2.3 million, is one
of the principal cosmopolitan urban centers of the Mediterranean. Other cities in Tunisia include Carthage, Jerba,
Hammamet, Sfax, Nabeul, Kairouan, Sousse, Bizerte, Jendouba, Medenine, Monastir, Gabes, Gafsa, Tabarka, Zarzis,
Beja, Kasserine and Le Kef.
The official language is Arabic; French is widely used. English is spoken
among a growing number of Tunisians. Many also speak Italian.
FAMILY
The family remains the basic unit of Tunisian society . With the assistance of public and private institutions,
it continues to function as a vital support mechanism for the individual at all stages of life. Enjoying total
equality of rights with men, women have gained a good measure of autonomy and are able to pursue their own careers
on an equal footing with men.
MIDDLE CLASS
The structure of Tunisian society is characterized by the predominance of the middle class (around 75 to 80% of
the population). There has been a continuous rise in the standard of living of Tunisia's citizens thanks to sound
development policies and to the implementation, since 1987, of a series of measures and actions which have promoted
business initiative and economic opportunity, and ensured the access of all citizens to basic amenities.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Demographic Figures:
Population (2007):
10.216.000 (8,785,364
in 1994)
Urban population (2007) :
65% (33% in 1956)
Age group Ratios:
*15 to 59 years
old: 64% of the population (2004);
(56.9% in 1994)
* 4 years and under:
8.1% of the population (2004);
11% (1994).
Life expectancy (1984):
67.4 years
Demographic Growth rate (2004):
1.21% and 1,08% in 2005 ; 1.7%
(1994)
Average family size (2004):
4.01; (5.16 in 1994)
Population Growth Projection:
2009: 10.388 million
2019: 11.210
million
2029: 11.763
million
Source:
National Statistics Institute
A special attention is accorded in Tunisia to labor and
professional relations, given the close correlation between social and economic development, and given the importance
of work as a civilizational value and as a means to achieve progress and prosperity.
Since the Change, action has been taken to consolidate the social gains of workers, to adapt the national labor
legislation to the requirements of socio-economic development, to keep up with the international labor legislation,
to promote social dialogue, and to improve the purchasing power of workers, particularly low-income ones
Labor and professional relations
Concerning the promotion of labor legislation and social dialogue, major reforms were introduced into the Labor
Code, covering most of the provisions that organize professional relations.
Following Tunisia's ratification of the International Labor Convention No. 135 concerning worker's representatives,
a law was enacted in 2007, amending certain provisions of the Labor Code related to the representation of workers,
in such a way as to adapt them to the requirements of the international convention. Tunisia has so far ratified
58 International Labor Conventions, including the 8 conventions related to the fundamental rights of workers.
The contract-based policy has been further consolidated. Fifty-one sector-based collective agreements are already
in force, nine of which were signed after the Change.
Since 1990, negotiations for revising the collective sector-based agreements have regularly been held every 3 years.
These negotiations have yielded positive results, having contributed to promoting social peace and improving working
conditions.
Three-year pay increase programs have been established over 18 years, improving the social climate and the purchasing
power of wage-earners. Moreover, to protect the purchasing power of low-income wage-earners, the minimum guaranteed
wage in the agricultural and non-agricultural fields has been increased 27 times since the Change.
Action has also been taken to guarantee the rights of women in labor legislation. Concerning child labor, Tunisia
ratified the International Minimum Age Convention (No. 138) and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention (No.
182).
A law was enacted to promote and protect disabled people, to increase their employability, and to offer them equal
opportunities.
Occupational medicine and safety at work
Various achievement have been accomplished in this field over the past couple of decades. In March 1990, occupational
medicine has been brought under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs. An Institute for Occupational
Medicine and Safety at Work was established in August 1990. A National Council for the Prevention of Occupational
Risks was created in May 1996, to give a fresh impetus to all structures concerned with prevention.
To provide further care to victims of occupational accidents and diseases in the public and private sectors, to
enlarge the scope of coverage and increase benefits, the law on damage recovery for occupational accidents and
diseases was revised in 1994.
Social security
The sector of social security has, since the Change, known a qualitative and quantitative evolution that has had
a significant impact in improving the living standards of individuals and families, in preserving social stability,
and in sustaining the state's efforts in terms of employment, investment and social protection.
Several measures have been taken to enlarge social security protection and to improve the social benefits offered
by social security funds. A new health-insurance system was created pursuant to law 2004-71 dated August 2, 2004.
The new system, which came into effect as from July 2007, offers three formulas for bearing healthcare costs.
This reform policy has had a positive impact in improving social security indicators :
- The number of insured persons increased from 1,079,615 in 1987 to 3,220,622 in 2007.
- The social security cover rate increased from 54.6% in 1987 to 91.6% in 2007.
- Health coverage expenses increased from 48.6 million dinars in 1987 to 634.6 million dinars in 2007. They constitute
21.2% of the total volume of social security expenses.
Social promotion
In his Program for Tomorrow's Tunisia (2004-2009), President Ben Ali accorded a particular attention to categories
with special needs. Point 12 of this program, entitled "A renewed approach to solidarity" sets a number
of objectives, including promoting these categories from the stage of assistance to that of integration, giving
a greater role to civil society in taking care of these categories, and bringing down the national illiteracy rate
to less than 9% by the end of 2009.
Great efforts are exerted by the State, jointly with civil society, to fight poverty, to provide care to disabled
people, and to protect society against disintegration, exclusion and marginalization.
To preserve the purchasing power of low-income families, allowances are reviewed on a regular basis. Besides, efforts
have been focused on promoting needy families, by providing a permanent job or source of income for members of
these families.
Instructions were given for the employment, in the public sector, of university graduates in 76 priority delegations,.
This measure benefited 705 university graduates from needy families during the period 2006-2007.
On the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Ben Ali gave instructions
for providing a source of income for needy families, by employing one or more of its members. This measure has
benefited 17,678 unemployed persons.
As regards the promotion of the disabled, a qualitative leap has been made since the Change, covering the various
legislative aspects, and involving programs aimed at ensuring prevention, care and integration.
An orientation law was enacted in 2005 for the promotion and protection of disabled people, which reflects a political
determination to consolidate the programs targeting this category of people.
A decree issued in November 2005 sets the conditions and regulations for the employment of disabled people. Under
this decree, no less than 1% of recruitments in the civil service must be devoted to persons with disability.
Social programs to combat poverty have led to a decrease in poverty and an improvement in the living standard and
conditions of the population at large. The percentage of the population living below the poverty level has dropped
from 33% in 1967 to 3.9% in 2008.
In addition, incentives have been established to encourage self-employment for disabled person through programs
aimed at facilitating the creation of sources of income, or through credits granted by the Tunisian Solidarity
Bank and by development associations.
National Solidarity
President Ben Ali has established solidarity as a constitutional value, through the fundamental constitutional
reform adopted in June 2002; solidarity being one of the basic values of the State, and one of the foundations
of the republican system.
A landmark event, in this regard, was the establishment, in December 1992, of the National Solidarity Fund (26-26),
to promote disadvantaged areas, through establishing the necessary infrastructure and improving living conditions
in these areas, and launching development projects therein.
The Tunisian experience in terms of national solidarity has caught the interest of many friendly countries which
sought to launch similar experiences.
Keen on giving a global dimension to the solidarity experience, and given the propagation and intensification of
poverty in the world, President Ben Ali proposed, in August 1999, the establishment of a World Solidarity Fund
for poverty eradication. In December 2002, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution providing for the creation
of such fund.
Tunisians abroad
Since the Change, a particular attention has been granted to the Tunisian community abroad, which has known significant
changes in terms of its composition and activities.
In his electoral programs for the period 1999-2004 and 2004-2005, President Ben Ali accorded special chapters to
the Tunisian community abroad, entitled, respectively, "Tunisians abroad at the heart of the country"
and "Tunisians abroad: a civilizational bond and a source of support to development".
In 2007, the total number of Tunisians abroad amounted to 1,018,173.
83.2% of the Tunisian community abroad lives in Europe, particularly in France and Germany. Since 1996, Italy has
become the second European country receiving Tunisian workforce. The number of Tunisians in Italy increased from
53,599 in 1996 to 142,972 at the end of 207.
The State has been keen on following up and reviewing the bilateral social security conventions concluded with
the countries of residence, in such a way as to improve and adapt them to the social security legislation in force
in Tunisia.
As regards the contribution of the Tunisian community abroad to the development effort, the State has established
various incentives that have accelerated the pace of project creation by Tunisians abroad. These projects, whose
number amounts to 10,304, have created some 43,914 jobs during the period 1987-2007, with total investments standing
at 385 million dinars.
Savings transferred by Tunisians abroad increased nearly six-fold, going up from 403 million dinars in 1987 to
2199 million dinars in 2007
Social housing
The Tunisian government has promoted the right to decent housing, the latter being an important factor to ensure
the family's stability and balance.
The policy adopted in this field has yielded positive results. The number of houses reached 2,500,830 in 2004,
compared to 1,865,522 a decade before. This policy has enabled most Tunisians to own their houses thanks to the
loans and facilities offered by the state. Low- and moderate-income social categories have not been excluded from
the right to own a decent house, depending on their purchasing power.
Associative action:
Social work is one of the most important fields of associative action, given its charitable, humanitarian and solidarity
dimensions. Since the Change, associative action has been given a fresh impetus. Associations are now a major partner
to the Government in providing care and protection to categories with specific needs, and in offering them adequate
conditions for their socio-economic integration.
There are currently 500 associations involved in social action. They are concerned with disabled persons, children
lacking support, delinquent minors, and one-parent families.
To support associative action, associations concerned with social integration and with children lacking family
support were offered special incentives (the National Employment Fund bears 50% of the salaries of university graduates;
and the state bears, during 7 years, the employer's social security contributions).
Three presidential programs have been established to support associations concerned with the disabled. The funds
allocated to these programs amount to 15.7 million dinars.
Till May 2008, 36 program-agreements were signed between the Ministry of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Tunisians
Abroad, and associations concerned with social protection and integration, and with children lacking family support.
Social services programs:
The National Program to assist Limited-Income Families. In 1999, about 34 million dollars were allocated to this
program, thus helping some 114.000 families.In 2004 on the occasion of religious holiday 360.000 families have
benefited from this program.
In an address to the nation on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the universal declaration of Human Rights,
President Ben Ali stressed his "strong belief that work is a basic foundation of human rights, upon which
we focus the efforts of the State". He pledged to "open up more employment prospects for university graduates
from the neediest families so that they can constitute the best support for their families". He announced
measures destined to "insuring a steady income to these families. Where non of the children, whether university
graduates or not, has so far joined the world of work and production" by setting up a " special program
within the public sector, to offer an employment to one or more of these children" by the end of 2007.
The Social Defense and Integration Program, which aims at strengthening the family structure as the basic unit
of society, and ensuring the rehabilitation and social integration of juvenile delinquents. The program also includes
a special fund for the payment of alimony for divorcees and their children.
Child Care Programs. Special attention is given to foster-family and adoptive children as well as children of divorced
or poor parents. The recently-adopted Code for the Protection of Children ensures the rights of the child.
Fighting Illiteracy. A national plan has been drafted to totally eliminate illiteracy between the ages of 15 and
45 by the year 2006. A special priority is given to fighting female and rural illiteracy. by comparison with 46.2%
in 1994, the illiteracy rate went down to 21.9in 2005.
Care for Senior Citizens. It includes the allocation of direct financial benefits, the creation of medical home-care
units as well as public nursing homes and health clinics.
Care for the disabled: between 1999 and 2004, special budgets have been invested in projects destined to promote
to care for the disabled. These programs consist of direct assistance, projects to create sources of income and
action to ensure the rehabilitation of the disabled . Practical measures have been enforced to facilitate access
of the handicapped to public buildings, sidewalks and public spaces. Businesses of 100 employees or more have been
mandated by law to reserve a 1 % recruitment quota for the disabled .
Source:Tunisian
Ministry of Development and international Cooperation .
For further information, visit these sites:
National Statistics Institute (INS)
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