Tunisia
Tunisia produced industrial minerals and metals
Pictured: hematite (iron ore)
Statistics and information on the mining industry in Tunisia.
Overview
In 2024, Tunisia was not a globally significant producer of mineral commodities. Production of phosphate rock contributed to 4% of Tunisia’s gross domestic product and 15% of total exports value but was only 1.4% of global production. Exports were 124,000 metric tons (t), of which 100,000 t went to Turkey. To meet the needs of the domestic production of phosphate products, Tunisia began importing phosphate rock since 2019, primarily from Algeria. Production of aluminum fluoride, ammonium nitrate, cement, gypsum, iron ore, lime, phosphate fertilizers, sea salt, raw steel, steel products, and sulfuric acid represented only a minor part of the economy of Tunisia.
The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Tunisia is provided by Law No. 2003–30 of 2003. The Office National des Mines [National Office of Mines] under the Ministry of Energy, Industry, and Mines oversees the mineral sector and conducts geologic research, prepares geologic and geophysical maps, and promotes mining by private companies. Most mineral commodities were produced by private companies; however, phosphate rock was produced by Government-owned Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa.
In 2024, Tunisia was not a globally significant producer of mineral commodities. Production of phosphate rock contributed to 4% of Tunisia’s gross domestic product and 15% of total exports value but was only 1.4% of global production. Phosphate rock production has decreased to 3.3 million metric tons (Mt) in 2024 from 8.2 Mt before the 2011 Jasmine Revolution. Exports were 124,000 metric tons (t), of which 100,000 t went to Turkey. To meet the needs of the domestic production of phosphate products, Tunisia began importing phosphate rock since 2019, primarily from Algeria. Production of aluminum fluoride, ammonium nitrate, cement, gypsum, iron ore, lime, phosphate fertilizers, sea salt, raw steel, steel products, and sulfuric acid represented only a minor part of the economy of Tunisia.
The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Tunisia is provided by Law No. 2003–30 of 2003. The Office National des Mines [National Office of Mines] under the Ministry of Energy, Industry, and Mines oversees the mineral sector and conducts geologic research, prepares geologic and geophysical maps, and promotes mining by private companies. Most mineral commodities were produced by private companies; however, phosphate rock was produced by Government-owned Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa (Poletti and Naceur, 2024; Amara, 2025; La Presse, 2025; Zen Innovations AG, 2025; Jasinski, 2026).
Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Africa and Middle East, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/afric…;
Production table
(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)
| Commodity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement, hydraulic, portland, gray | 6,823,200 | 8,113,200 | 7,513,200 | 6,629,400 | 6,279,400 |
| Cement, hydraulic, white | 338,400 | 386,400 | 375,600 | 357,300 | 331,900 |
| Fertilizers, diammonium phosphate | 414,500 | 356,200 | 480,100 | 313,800 | 375,400 |
| Fertilizers, dicalcium phosphate | 38,700 | 39,700 | 32,400 | 19,100 | 20,600 |
| Fertilizers, hyperphosphate | 11,400 | 8,300 | 17,500 | 10,000 | 200 |
| Fertilizers, sodium tripolyphosphate | 17,000 | 0 | 34,600 | 16,700 | 15,700 |
| Fertilizers, triple superphosphate | 109,000 | 179,700 | 179,800 | 169,000 | 209,000 |
| Fluorspar, products, aluminum fluoride | 32,100 | 39,900 | 41,700 | 26,900 | 35,200 |
| Gypsum, crude | 850,000e | 1,251,185 | 900,000e | 900,000e | 800,000 |
| Iron ore, mine | 172,919 | 266,400 | 224,000 | 220,000e | 220,000e |
| Iron ore, mine, Fe content | 108,000 | 166,000 | 140,000 | 135,000e | 135,000e |
| Lime | 114,900 | 72,200 | 59,700 | 45,600 | 27,600 |
| Nitrogen, products, ammonium nitrate | 100,700 | 121,300 | 134,900 | 88,800 | 112,500 |
| Phosphate rock, washed | 3,194,100 | 3,726,000 | 3,563,000 | 3,093,600 | 3,274,900 |
| Phosphate rock, washed, P2O5 content | 926,000e | 1,080,000e | 1,030,000e | 900,000e | 950,000e |
| Phosphate, compounds, phosphoric acid | 395,400 | 459,100 | 532,800 | 510,800 | 395,900 |
| Raw steel | 77,600 | 85,100 | 75,500 | 69,000 | 60,300 |
| Salt, sea salt | 1,666,075 | 1,889,614 | 1,158,000 | 1,950,000e | 1,730,000e |
| Steel products | 444,000 | 459,600 | 499,200 | 457,200 | 303,700 |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid | 2,500,000e | 3,000,000e | 3,000,000e | 3,000,000e | 3,000,000e |
References Cited
- Amara, Tarak, 2025, Tunisia aims to raise phosphate output to 14 million metric tons in 2030: Thomson Reuters, March 5. (Accessed September 20, 2025, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250305202747/https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/tunisia-aims-raise-phosphate-output-14-million-metric-tons-2030-2025-03-05/.)
- Jasinski, S.M., 2026, Phosphate rock: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 142–143.
- La Presse, 2025, CPG—Hausse de la production de phosphates en 2024 [CPG—Phosphate production to increase in 2024]: La Presse [Tunis, Tunisia], January 9. (Accessed March 4, 2026, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250117183109/https://www.lapresse.tn/2025….) [In French.]
- Poletti, Arianna, and Naceur, Sofian Philip, 2024, Gafsa’s silent suffering—The hidden cost of phosphate mining in Tunisia: Geographical Magazine (London, United Kingdom, Royal Geographical Society), November 8. (Accessed September 20, 2025, at https://geographical.co.uk/science-environment/gafsas-silent-suffering-….)
- Zen Innovations AG, 2025, Global trade tracker: Bern-Kehrsatz, Switzerland, Zen Innovations AG. (Accessed September 20, 2025, via https://www.globaltradetracker.com.)
Publications
Reports: 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017-18 | 2019 | 2020-21
Tables: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017-18 | 2019 | 2020-21 | 2022 Tables-only release