Tunisia’s in-bound FDI has been declining steadily since 2008, according to greenfield investment monitor fDi Markets. In the period to the end of August 2015, the number of inward projects has decreased by 89.29%, resulting in 14,382 fewer jobs created.
In 2008, the country attracted 56 separate FDI projects before declining to 52, 49 and 41 in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.
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Numbers decreased more steeply in the following years, with 31 projects tracked in 2012 followed by 19 in 2013 and 11 in 2014. In the eight months to August for which data is available in 2015, just six projects have been recorded.
The decline in project numbers is broadly reflected in a drop in capital expenditure. A total of $7.64bn was recorded in 2009, which decreased to a low of $440m in 2013. This rebounded slightly in 2014, but with just $285m tracked so far in 2015 it would appear unlikely that a further rebound will be experienced this year.
Throughout, Tunis has remained the investor’s city of choice, accounting for 51.11% of all Tunisia’s inward FDI for which a city location was specified.