Tunisia ranks 19th in Global Knowledge Index 2022 among high human development countries

18 May 2023 – The Republic of Tunisia secured the 19^th position among the 28 countries with high human development and the 82^nd out of the 132 countries in the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2022, which has been published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF).

The GKI highlights Tunisia’s exceptional performance in the knowledge infrastructure in the previous year, indicating its notable outcomes in the sector indices for pre-university education. The country secured the top position globally in governmental expenditure on secondary education as a percentage of GDP and in government funding per secondary student as a percentage of GDP per capita. Furthermore, Tunisia also came in 20^th in the proportion of children who are developmentally on track and 23^rd in the proportion of children with stimulating home learning environments. The country was also ranked 15^th globally in the pre-university education enrollment rate.

Tunisia further held first place in the share of students enrolled in post-secondary vocational programs. Additionally, it produced better results in the higher education sector, which is considered a significant factor in promoting growth, eliminating poverty, providing better employment opportunities across sectors, and paving the way to create knowledge economies. The country ranked 9^th in the percentage of researchers in higher education and 22^nd in “teachers in tertiary education, gender parity.”

Furthermore, Tunisia achieved exceptional results in scientific research development and innovation. It also ranked fifth in the percentage of tertiary graduates from STEM programs. This reflects the country’s dynamic developments in the sector’s institutional input. Tunisia additionally secured the 19^th position among firms with products and services new to the market. Demonstrating exceptional results in indicators relating to the ICT sector, which contributes to improving the quality of life, the country held the second position in the tertiary graduates from ICT program. Further, it ranked 45^th in mobile upload and download speeds.

Tunisia also came in 6^th in building quality control and 16^th in ease of starting a business. It ranked 38^th in domestic credit to the private sector as a percentage of GDP, exemplifying remarkable performance in the economic indicators. Moreover, the country ranked 33^rd in poverty headcount as a percentage of the population.

The Global Knowledge Index is a practical tool that presents scientific and objective presentations of the knowledge and development landscape of nations across the world. It measures global knowledge development and addresses pressing knowledge challenges that hinder the process of achieving further knowledge-based sustainable development. Based on the most recent data in the international databases, the current edition of the GKI includes 155 variables and 132 countries, among them 11 Arab countries.