Tunisia Tops North Africa in 2026 Prosperity Index at 75th Globally

Q: Tunisia tops North Africa's prosperity list, but what alarming legal decline is secretly threatening its regional dominance?

The threat is Tunisia’s sharp deterioration in the rule of law, especially a notable decline in Legatum’s Legal Subindex since 2020. That slide matters because Tunisia’s overall regional lead rests heavily on strong development results, particularly health, while its freedom performance is already weak. The broader Legatum freedom research warns that weakening legal institutions are often the last barrier against democratic backsliding and a key condition for investment, rights protection and policy effectiveness. Recent evidence points to exactly that kind of erosion in Tunisia. Since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab, rights groups and international observers have documented the dismantling of judicial independence, including the dissolution of the High Judicial Council, the dismissal of judges, prosecutions of critics, and wider use of restrictive laws such as Decree 54 against journalists, activists and online speech. Civil society groups also report growing administrative pressure, investigations and funding restrictions on NGOs. So while Tunisia still ranks 75th globally and leads North Africa in the 2026 Prosperity Index, the “secret” danger is that its legal and institutional foundations are weakening. If that decline continues, it could undermine the very development and social gains that currently keep Tunisia ahead of Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt.

3 articles · Updated · African Manager · Aug 19

Tunisia placed 75th out of 161 countries in the 2026 Legatum Prosperity Index with a score of 64.18, ranking first in North Africa and third in Africa.
Its strongest pillar was Development at 70.03, helped by an 86.34 healthcare score, while Freedom lagged at 58.46 and Economic freedom marked a key weakness at 54.41.
Morocco followed closely at 76th globally, ahead of Algeria at 83rd, while Libya ranked 115th and still placed above Egypt at 120th.
Across Africa, Mauritius led at 45th, followed by Botswana at 70th; globally, Switzerland topped the index with 91.82, while Eritrea ranked last at 161st.