Tunisia adopts 2026‑2030 development plan aiming for growth and social inclusion

On 10 July, Tunisia’s Assembly of Representatives approved a five‑year development plan covering 2026‑2030. The programme, presented by President Kaïs Saïed, targets an average annual growth of about 4.2 %, a gradual cut in the fiscal deficit toward 3 % and public‑debt at roughly 80 % of GDP by the end of the period. It seeks to reduce poverty to under 15 %, raise the Human Development Index into the middle‑income group and improve regional development scores. The plan emphasises reforms in education, higher education, vocational training and research, as well as investments in health and high‑value sectors such as aerospace, mechanical and automotive industries, alongside broader modernisation of infrastructure and public services.

Critics argue the plan leans heavily toward expanding low‑skill services—tourism, commerce and transport—while offering little support for manufacturing and industrial R&D. They warn that the shift to a service‑driven economy could increase Tunisia’s vulnerability to external shocks, noting that knowledge‑intensive services account for only about 6 % of GDP compared with 15‑17 % in advanced European economies. The President stresses a bottom‑up approach, involving local, regional and district councils in shaping priorities, aiming to rebuild public trust and address long‑standing deficits in education, health and state‑owned enterprises.