Promoting regional economic development in Tunisia

Context

Tunisia’s economy has significant regional disparities. While the coastal regions are relatively well developed, rural areas lack income and employment opportunities. This particularly affects women and young people, as they often work in the informal sector without social protection.

Agriculture is a key sector of the economy, but faces challenges in the form of limited resources, low productivity and climate change. Tourism, meanwhile, could contribute to the economy, but so far it has barely been used to advance the development of rural regions. Both sectors are crucial for Tunisia’s economic development, but require targeted support.

Objective

The economic situation of economic actors in rural Tunisia is improved.

Approach

The project operates in three fields of activity:

• It supports economic actors in rural areas by offering them training and advisory services. Women and young people, in particular, receive support to improve their business, technical and environmental skills. This enables them to develop and implement business ideas.
• It expands state and private-sector services for companies, individual entrepreneurs and cooperatives. It encourages networking, which improves information-sharing, cooperation opportunities and local markets.
• It develops suitable mechanisms to make it easier for economic actors to access tailored financing options. This facilitates investment in rural regions and promotes sustainable growth.

Last update: February 2025