Demographics of Tunisia

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While the vast majority of modern Tunisians identify themselves as Arabs, they are mainly the descendants of Berbers, and to a lesser extent of Semitic peoples (Phoenicians/Canaanites; Arabs): less than 20% of the genetic material (Y-chromosome analysis) comes from the Middle East.^[1] In addition people from numerous civilizations that have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia.

Recorded history in Tunisia begins with the arrival of Phoenicians, who founded Carthage and other North African settlements in the 8th century BC. Carthage became a major sea power, clashing with Rome for control of the Mediterranean until it was defeated and captured by the Romans in 146 B.C. The Romans ruled in North Africa until the 5th century when the Roman Empire fell and Tunisia was invaded by European tribes, including the Vandals. The Muslim conquest in the 7th century transformed Tunisia culturally and linguistically, with settlements from around the Arab and Ottoman world, including numbers of Spanish Moors and Jews at the end of the 15th century. Tunisia became a center of Arab culture and learning and was assimilated into the Turkish Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. It was a French protectorate from 1881 until independence in 1956, and retains close political, economic, and cultural ties with France.

Nearly all Tunisians (98% of the population) are Muslim.^[2] There has been a Jewish population on the southern island of Djerba for 2000 years, and there remains a small Jewish population in Tunis which is descended from those who fled Spain in the late 15th century. There is a small indigenous Christian population.^[3] Small nomadic indigenous minorities have been mostly assimilated into the larger population.

Demographics of Tunisia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Population: 10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.99% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.12 years
male: 73.4 years
female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%^[2]

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%^[2]

Languages: Tunisian Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic is official); French (especially in commerce); several Berber languages are also spoken: Shelha, Ghadamès, Nafusi, Sened (may be extinct) 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.)