Tunisia scored 65% and ranked 125th among 145 economies in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Gender Gap Index. Near-parity in education and health sits alongside persistent gaps in employment, income and political representation.
In the 2026 index, Tunisia scored 97.4% for educational attainment, compared with 51.9% for economic participation and opportunity. Its overall score was 65%, placing it 125th among 145 economies. Tunisia ranked 29th among low- and middle-income economies and third in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The gap is clear. Tunisia scored 96.2% for health and survival, but just 14% for political empowerment, according to figures reported by Mosaïque FM.
The World Economic Forum published the index on September 16. Its 20th edition measures gender parity across 145 economies. It also tracks 97 economies included in every report since 2006, creating the longest-running assessment of global progress toward gender parity.
Tunisia's score rose from 62.9% in 2006 to 65% in 2026, a gain of 2.1 percentage points. Its ranking, however, fell from 90th to 125th. The Arab Institute of Business Leaders, the World Economic Forum's official partner in Tunisia, cautions that rankings are relative. A country's score can rise while its rank falls if other economies make faster progress. The lower rank does not mean Tunisia's own score declined.
Tunisia recorded its highest score in the period in 2024, at 66.8%, when it ranked 115th. Its 2026 result puts it third in MENA. That regional position does not erase the gaps in work and political representation.
Labour-market figures help explain the low economic score. Tunisia scored 41.1% for economic activity and 36.3% for estimated earned income. Women accounted for 26.3% of legislators, senior officials and managers. Mosaïque FM's breakdown of political representation lists women as 18.8% of parliamentarians and 26.3% of ministers. These are separate measures in the index. They point to barriers in access to paid work and senior decision-making.
Educational parity does not guarantee equal access to jobs, income or leadership. The issue sits alongside public demands for jobs, including those described in employment protests. The index records disparities. On its own, it does not establish their causes or measure the effect of any single employment policy.
Tunisia has also backed a role for women in public life through commitments abroad. In a statement at the United Nations, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said it had approved a second national action plan on the Women, Peace and Security agenda for 2025-2030. The plan focuses on conflict prevention, women's participation and institutional accountability, according to Espace Manager. That diplomatic commitment is separate from the index's measures of employment and representation. It does not show that those gaps have already narrowed.
The global figures show how much ground remains. Since 2006, parity worldwide has improved by 5.2%, but no economy has reached full parity. At the current pace, closing the overall gap would take around 120 years. The projected timelines are eight years for education and health, 129 years for economic participation and 194 years for political empowerment.
Tunisia has made progress, but it is concentrated in areas that have not closed gaps in work and power. Education and health parity are real gains. They are not a substitute for women's economic opportunity or representation in decision-making.
