Tunisia - Population

The population of Tunisia in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 9,832,000, which placed it as number 82 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 6% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 30% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 101 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 1.07%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 11,116,000. The population density in 2002 was 60 per sq km (155 per sq mi), ranging from only about 4 per sq km (10 per sq mi) in the south to over 400 per sq km (1,000 per sq mi) in the thickly settled north.

It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 66% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Tunis, had a population of 1,860,000 in that year. Other cities are Sfax (Safaqis); Ariana (a suburb of Tunis); Bizerte (Binzart); Gabes; and Sousse (Susa). According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 2.3%.