High growth in Tunisian human development program
Tunisia, Culture, 6/9/2000

A report prepared by Tunisia for the first time in collaboration with the UN development program said that the volume of urbanization increased in the country to 62.4% and that growth has increased during the past ten years to an annual rate estimated at 5% and that the inflation rate diminished to almost 2.7 % against 8.6%.

The report which was completed according to international standards, stressed that the results attained by Tunisia in the area of human development came as a result of the strategic option, the country embarked on and embodied in balancing between the economic and social dimensions of developments in order to preserve social balance. An element which is considered a basic element to boost development.

The report deals with four main issues: the concept of human development, the strategic option of the Tunisian experience, the components of the Tunisian experience and the targeting groups. Worth noting is that the human development index measures longevity, good health, education (acquiring knowledge and learning) and attaining the basic resources to live in the best conditions.

Thanks to its balanced development policy, Tunisia has taken important strides in redistributing the national wealth between the various social strata.

With President Bin Ali assuming power in Tunisia in 1987, the country's social structure witnessed fundamental change. Poverty rate dropped to 6%, thanks to creating new job opportunities and an annual increase in wages covered all employees along the past 12 years. The middle class circle in Tunisia expanded to reach at the meantime some 80% of the society, thanks to the good distribution of the national wealth and improvement of people's living conditions.

The report which was recently submitted by the Tunisian minister of economic development Abdul Latif al-Saddam and the representative of the UN development program in Tunisia Areal Faranci revealed the increase in human development indicators proves Tunisia's progress during the past ten years to achieving tangible economic and social results on the international level.

The reports proves that Tunisia has become among the first ten countries which recorded higher progress rates in the area of human development as GNP per capita reached 2500 dinars for 1999 while the human development index reached (0.7). However, among the important indicators which reflects Tunisia's development success despite the changes in regional and international conditions is the increased improvement of the living conditions as life span rate increased to 72 years and birth rate decreased to 1.1.

Concerning social care in various health and educational areas, public expenditures for the country's health sector increased to 10.5 % annually during the ten past years while rates of illiteracy decreased and general learning conditions improved. Some 99% of Tunisian children are enrolled in schools.

Moreover, some 660,000 job opportunities were created during the period between 1987 and 1999.

Commenting on these results the representative of the UN Development Program Areal Faranci said that Tunisia carried out a key role in the area of human development and that it is an example to be followed in this area.

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