São Paulo – Tunisia’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.2% year-on-year in Q2, driven by sectors including phosphates and services, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported this Friday (16).
In Q2 from Q1, real GDP was up less at 0.5%. Real GDP numbers are inflation-discounted and are supplied by Tunisia’s National Institute of Statistics (INS).
The manufacturing sector, however, shrank by 0.8% year-on-year and 0.2% from Q1, with weak results from chemicals, textiles, and clothing and footwear. The building materials, ceramics and agricultural foods sectors grew, while the mechanical and electrical industries remained flat.
GDP was down 2.6% for non-manufacturing industries year-on-year in Q2, and down 0.8% in Q2 from Q1. This was primarily due to the ongoing decline in oil and gas extraction. Oil output was 36,100 bpd, down from 38.7 bpd a year ago.
Mining was up 1.1%, driven by an 8.8% hike in phosphate production, although other subsectors of the industry cooled off. Tunisia is a major exporter of phosphate – a fertilizer industry input –to countries including Brazil.
Services picked up by 2.1% year-on-year, fueled by hotels, restaurants and cafés, up 7.1%. Communications were up 5.9%, and financial services were up 2.4%. Transportation sector GDP slid.
Agriculture and fishing were up 2.8% on the back of a good cereal crop. Construction was down 1.4%.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
