Tunisia has moved up twelve places to 105th in the 2026 Global Attractiveness Index, showing some improvement but still falling behind North African neighbors like Morocco and Algeria. The country is still rated as medium-low in its ability to attract investment and talent.
Tunisia's twelve-place climb in the 2026 Global Attractiveness Index (GAI) stands out in a region where competition for investment is intense. Despite this progress, Tunisia remains in the medium-low tier for attractiveness, highlighting the ongoing gap between its ambitions and the reality facing investors.
The GAI, published by The European House - Ambrosetti (TEHA Group), ranks 146 economies on their ability to attract and keep investment, businesses, capital, and talent. Tunisia's score rose to 22.8 points from 17.1 last year, with improvements in openness, innovation, efficiency, and endowment. Still, at 105th place, Tunisia lags behind regional leaders and continues to face structural obstacles.
Regional competition: Morocco and Algeria move ahead
Within Africa, Tunisia ranks 11th, behind Mauritius, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt. Morocco leads North Africa at 84th globally with 28.7 points, followed by Algeria and Egypt at 85th and 88th. Mauritius, with its strong services sector and financial industry, is the continent's top performer at 83rd. The numbers show that Tunisia's recent gains have not closed the gap with its neighbors, who continue to draw more capital and talent. According to Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP), Morocco and Algeria have both benefited from targeted industrial policies and stronger external financing in recent years.
Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Gabon, Benin, and Rwanda also outperformed Tunisia in the latest index, adding to the pressure on Tunisian policymakers. The country's medium-low rating reflects ongoing issues with infrastructure, labor market conditions, and the business environment. Still, the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy recently approved 309 solar PV projects totaling 455 MW, aiming to diversify the energy sector and attract green investment (solar PV projects).
Global leaders and the lower ranks
The United States leads the index with a perfect score of 100, followed by China and Singapore. The United Arab Emirates is the highest-ranked Arab economy at seventh globally, while Germany, the United Kingdom, and France round out the top ten. At the bottom, Haiti, Yemen, Burundi, Malawi, and Liberia face the greatest challenges, held back by instability and weak institutions. The African Union Commission has called for institutional reforms and regional integration to improve Africa's investment climate.
Tunisia's improvement in the GAI comes after setbacks in other international rankings. The country's record low in the 2026 Investment Freedom Index, as reported earlier, pointed to serious obstacles for investors and a widening gap with regional peers. The latest GAI results show some progress, but not enough to change Tunisia's place in the regional order. Fitch Ratings recently confirmed Tunisia's long-term sovereign rating at B- with a stable outlook, but noted that the 2026 budget deficit is projected at 6.4% of GDP, well above the 3.3% median for B-rated sovereigns. Average real GDP growth is expected to stay around 2% through 2028, according to recent reports from allAfrica and TAP.
Despite the headline jump, Tunisia's fundamentals remain fragile. The country's ability to attract foreign capital is still limited by structural inefficiencies, policy uncertainty, and a business climate that trails its North African rivals. Industrial investment rose 18% by the end of April 2026, creating about 13,000 jobs-mainly in agri-food, mechanical, and electrical industries-but external financing inflows are expected to drop to 1.4% of GDP in 2026, down from a 3.6% peak in 2024, according to Fitch and regional news agencies. Unless Tunisian authorities address these core issues, the improved ranking will remain mostly symbolic, with little impact on the country's position in regional competition.
