Tunisia identifies nearly 79,000 undeclared businesses
The finance minister revealed the scale of the informal economy, which accounts for 35.2% of activity.
Tunisia has identified nearly 79,000 economic activities operating without official declaration between 2022 and September 2026. Finance Minister Michket Slama Khaldi announced the figure of 78,688 undeclared activities on Friday before a joint parliamentary session discussing the 2027 state budget. These findings highlight the significant extent of economic operations outside the formal tax system.
The minister stated that the informal economy represents 35.2% of Tunisia's economic activity, a figure that drops to 28.5% when the agricultural sector is excluded. Khaldi emphasized the need to strengthen control mechanisms and inter-agency coordination to address these undeclared operations. In 2025, fiscal interventions generated approximately 7.3 billion dinars in revenue, and a campaign to broaden the tax base and combat evasion is underway.
Fiscal revenues now constitute 91.4% of the state's own resources, a trend attributed to a decline in non-fiscal revenue rather than increased tax pressure. The minister called for intensified efforts to create wealth and diversify state budget funding sources to reduce reliance on debt. A public awareness campaign is also being conducted to encourage formalization.
Why it mattersNearly 79,000 economic activities operating outside the tax system were identified, impacting state revenue and requiring strengthened controls.