The Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, provided details on the evolution of foreign direct investments (FDI) in Tunisia in 2025 and their impact on the national economy and employment, in a written response to a question from Deputy Abdelhalim Bousma.
In his response, the minister explained that an increase in FDI flows does not necessarily translate into a proportional improvement in all economic indicators in the same year.
He stressed that the relationship between foreign investments and economic indicators is neither automatic nor systematic. It depends on several factors, including the nature of the investments attracted, their sectoral distribution and the characteristics of the projects carried out.
Thus, merely the growth in the volume of investments is not enough to assess their impact on the national economy. It is also necessary to examine the nature of the projects and their contribution to job creation and economic activity.
The minister also indicated that foreign direct investments in Tunisia rose by 30.1% in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching a total amount of 3,506.5 million dinars, with the creation of 14,085 jobs, excluding the energy sector.
These data are included in the written reply sent by Samir Abdelhafidh to Deputy Abdelhalim Bousma, concerning the evolution of FDI in 2025 and its repercussions on the national economy and employment.
Manufacturing industries capture the majority of investments
The Minister of Economy and Planning revealed that manufacturing industries constituted the main sector benefiting from foreign direct investments in 2025, with an amount of 2,194.1 million dinars, representing about 63% of the total.
The services sector came in second, with 657.9 million dinars, i.e. 19% of investments, followed by the energy sector, which attracted 570.8 million dinars, representing 16% of the total.
As for the agricultural sector, it benefited from 83.7 million dinars of investments, about 2% of the total amount.
921 investment operations, dominated by expansion projects
Regarding the nature of the projects carried out, the minister indicated that 921 investment operations were recorded in 2025, for a total value of 2,935.7 million dinars, excluding the energy sector.
These operations are distributed between 102 new projects, representing an investment of 356.7 million dinars and having enabled the creation of 3,914 jobs, and 819 expansion projects, for an amount of 2,579 million dinars, having generated 10,171 jobs.
These figures show that expansion projects concentrated the bulk of investments recorded outside the energy sector, both in the number of operations and in the invested amounts and in jobs created.
Several international companies launch their projects in Tunisia
Samir Abdelhafidh also indicated that the year 2025 was marked by the transition to the realization phase of several important investment projects led by foreign companies operating in different industrial and technological sectors.
Among the main companies cited are:
- TAIKANG Electronics, China.
- NIVATEX, Canada.
- SABELT, Italy.
- WB TRIM, South Korea.
- VISTEON, United States.
- GTS Décolletage, France.
- Jetty Automotive Technology, China.
- Pusterla 1880, Italy.
These projects notably concern the manufacture of automotive components, precision industries, medical equipment, and modern technologies.
Regional disparities in attracting foreign investments
Geographically, the data presented show a persistent concentration of foreign direct investments in the Northeast and Center-East governorates.
The second district captured 64% of total FDI flows, while the third district accounted for 17.3%.
By contrast, the combined share of the first, fourth, and fifth districts did not exceed 18.7%, illustrating disparities in the geographic distribution of foreign investments among the country’s different regions.
Coordination between FIPA and the Central Bank of Tunisia
Regarding the coherence of statistics published on foreign investments, the minister confirmed the existence of a coordination mechanism between the national institutions responsible for monitoring foreign direct investments, notably the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT).
He clarified that this coordination aims to ensure the consistency of statistical data and their regular updating.
The minister also stressed that the annual report prepared by FIPA provides for the coordinated preparation of data related to foreign investments, in coordination with the various public structures involved.
