Over the past year, from July 2024 to June 2025, Tunisia’s electricity consumption has been overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, with more than 98% of the electricity generated from gas. This leaves low-carbon, or clean, electricity making up just a small fraction of the mix at 1.7%, all of which is sourced from wind energy. The marginal contribution of low-carbon technologies highlights a significant reliance on fossil energy, raising concerns about sustainability and the country’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. Tunisia still has an opportunity to enhance its energy security and green credentials by diversifying its energy sources to include more clean energy.

Data sources used on this page include EIA, Ember and IEA. More about data sources →

Is Electricity Growing in Tunisia?

Electricity consumption in Tunisia does not show signs of growth and is currently in decline. Latest statistics reveal that total electricity consumption is now at 1519 kWh per person, a noticeable drop from a previous peak in 2022 when it was 1979 kWh per person. This decrease of 459 kWh per person is worrying. The situation is similar for low-carbon electricity generation, where the latest measure of 26 kWh per person signifies a drop from 69 kWh per person in 2023, marking a reduction of 43 kWh. This noticeable decline in both overall and clean electricity generation is troubling, given the global shift towards sustainable energy solutions and the pressing need to reduce emissions to combat climate change effectively.

Suggestions

To boost low-carbon electricity generation, Tunisia should focus on lessons from regions with significant advancements in clean energy, particularly in nuclear and solar power. Countries like France, Slovakia, and Ukraine have achieved more than half of their electricity generation from nuclear energy, demonstrating the potential for safe, large-scale clean electricity. Similarly, regions such as Iowa and South Dakota have harnessed over half of their electricity from wind energy. With Tunisia's sunny climate, adopting a comprehensive solar strategy similar to regions like Lebanon or California, both reaching around a third and one-fifth of their electricity from solar respectively, can greatly enrich its energy landscape. Ultimately, increased investment and strategic planning in nuclear and solar technologies could steer Tunisia towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

History

Looking back at Tunisia’s history of low-carbon electricity, the trends mostly reflect incremental and still modest advancements. In past decades, specific years have seen minor increases in hydroelectric power, such as in the mid-1980s to early '90s and early 2000s. Wind energy saw small but meaningful growth starting in 2009 and had periodic boosts in the following years, although these gains were sometimes offset by stagnations or declines, as noted in 2015 and 2021. Solar power emerged in 2020 but saw an initial retreat the following year, although a promising increase occurred in 2023. Despite these efforts, the erratic and limited scale of these contributions underscores the need for a more ambitious and systematic expansion of low-carbon electricity sources. Tunisia must now focus on rapidly scaling up these technologies to close the gap created by years of reliance on fossil fuels.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade