Dr. Ibtihal Bouchoucha, a demography expert at the National Institute of Statistics, confirmed that Tunisia is experiencing a marked acceleration in population aging—a trend that is clearly reflected in the significant drop in the number of children in recent years.
In a statement to Tunisie Numérique on Monday, May 19, 2025, Bouchoucha explained that the proportion of children aged 0 to 4 has fallen sharply, dropping from 27% in 1966 to just 5.9% in the most recent 2024 census.
She added that the age group of 5 to 14 years has also seen a notable decline, decreasing from 27% to 17% over the same period. Conversely, the active population (ages 15 to 59) has grown significantly, rising from 45% to 60.3%.
Bouchoucha also pointed out that the share of people over the age of 60 has increased from 5.6% to 16.9%, clearly illustrating the deep demographic shifts affecting Tunisia’s population pyramid.
Despite this trend toward aging, the expert emphasized that Tunisian society still includes a significant proportion of young people. She noted that the current median age in Tunisia is 35, meaning that half of the country’s population is younger than that.
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