Demographics of Tunisia

The majority (98% ^[1]) of modern Tunisians are Arabized Berber or Arab-Berber,^[2] and are speakers of Tunisian Arabic. However, there is also a small (1 percent at most^[1]) of pure native Berbers located mainly in the Jabal Dahar mountains in the South East and on the island of Jerba. The Berbers primarily speak Berber languages, often called Shilha or Tashlihit,^[3] or have shifted to Tunisian Arabic.

Demographics of Tunisia, Data of FAO; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Nearly all Tunisians (98 percent of the population) are Muslim.^[4] There is a Jewish population on the southern island of Djerba and Tunis. There is also a small indigenous Christian population.^[5]

Population

Source: National Institute of Statistics^[6]

Vital statistics

Source: National Institute of Statistics^[6]

Genetic

While the vast majority of modern Tunisians identify themselves as Arabs, they are predominantly descended from Berber groups, with some Arab input. Tunisians are also descended, to a lesser extent, from other African, Middle Eastern and European peoples, specifically the Phoenicians/Punics, Romans, Vandals, French and Haratin. In sum, a little less than 20 percent of their genetic material (Y-chromosome analysis) comes from present day Arabian Peninsula, Europe or Sub-Saharan Africa.^[7][8][9] "In fact, the Tunisian genetic distances to European samples are smaller than those to North African groups. (...) This could be explained by the history of the Tunisian population, reflecting the influence of the ancient Punic settlers of Carthage followed, among others, by Roman, Byzantine, Arab and French occupations, according to historical records. Notwithstanding, other explanations cannot be discarded, such as the relative heterogeneity within current Tunisian populations, and/or the limited sub-Saharan genetic influence in this region as compared with other North African areas, without excluding the possibility of the genetic drift, whose effect might be particularly amplified on the X chromosome.",^[10][11] This suggests a fairly significant European input to Tunisian genetics compared to other neighbouring populations.

Y-Chromosome

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Nationality

noun:Tunisian(s)

adjective:Tunisian

Vital Statistics

Age structure

0–14 years: 22.2% (male 1,213,664/female 1,137,084)

15–64 years: 70.5% (male 3,759,955/female 3,704,677)

65 years and over: 7.3% (male 358,447/female 415,198) (2010 est.)

0-14 years: 23.2% (male 1,274,348/female 1,193,131)

15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,638,014/female 3,728,294)

65 years and over: 7.5% (male 390,055/female 405,344) (2011 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

-1.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Urbaniziation

urban population: 67% of total population (2010)

rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2012 est.)

Infant mortality rate

22.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.24 years

male: 73.2 years

female: 77.42 years (2012 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%^[4]

Religions

(see Religion in Tunisia) Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%^[4]

Languages

Tunisian Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic is official); French (especially in commerce); Shelha, Ghadamès, Nafusi, Sened and Djerbi; according to the 1998 Ethnologue report, about 26,000 Berbers in Djerba and Matmata speak Djerbi

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.3%
male: 83.4%
female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

The literacy rate among the Tunisian population increased greatly after its independence from France. According to the 1996 census data,^[13] the literacy rate of the last generation of Tunisian men educated under the French rule (those born 1945-49) was less than 65%. For the first generation educated after independence (born 1950-1954), literacy in Arabic among males had increased to nearly 80%. (Sixty-two percent were also literate in French and 15 percent literate in English). Among the youngest generation included in the census (those born 1980-1984), 96.6% were literate in Arabic.

Among Tunisian women, the increase in literacy was even greater. The literacy rate among the last generation of women educated under the French was less than 30%. In the first generation educated after independence, this increased to just over 40%. For the youngest generation of women cited (born 1980-1984), literacy in Arabic had increased to slightly over 90%; over 70% of women were also literate in French.^[14]

References