Beyond Money: Why Young Tunisians Are Weighing Emigration

For many young Tunisians, the choice to leave the country goes beyond financial strain and reflects deeper discontent with limited prospects, uncertainty and a feeling that a future cannot be built at home, Al Jazeera reports.

Maher Qassem, a media professional, says the phrase “beyond money” captures his reasons for contemplating emigration. After years of trying to provide stability for his family, he now faces the pressure of covering monthly expenses and mounting debts. Qassem tells Al Jazeera that almost his entire salary is consumed by loan repayments, rent and his son’s school fees, and that he has sometimes been unable to afford medication for his ill mother.

Qassem is not alone. Seven years into President Kais Saied’s rule, many young Tunisians see little tangible improvement in their daily lives and worry about the opportunities available to the next generation. Others, however, continue to back the president. The country remains split between those who feel recent years have failed to deliver the promised change and those who still believe reform is possible, all against a backdrop of persistent economic challenges.

Ghaith, who was 19 during the 2019 presidential election, recalls the optimism that followed Saied’s victory even though he did not vote. Seven years later he says his situation has not changed. “The cost‑of‑living pressures that existed then remain,” he tells Al Jazeera, adding that ordinary citizens still struggle to obtain basic goods and services. He also criticises the government’s communication, calling for clearer explanations of policies, accountability and a concrete vision for the future.

For Qassem, the difficulties extend beyond economics; he says working as a journalist has become increasingly hard. Yet not everyone has lost faith in Saied. Mohamed Amine, a taxi driver in his thirties, voted for the president in the latest election and believes Saied’s intentions are sincere and aimed at change. Amine acknowledges obstacles that have slowed the reform agenda but argues it is too early to judge the outcome and that the president deserves more time.

Unemployment, especially among youth and university graduates, remains a major problem. The National Institute of Statistics reports a 14.9 percent unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2026, equating to about 622,000 people without work. Among those aged 15 to 24, the rate climbs to 35.4 percent, while university graduates face a 26.6 percent unemployment rate. Female graduates are hit harder at 35.6 percent, compared with 14.2 percent for men.

A study by Afrobarometer shows that roughly two‑thirds of young Tunisians have thought about emigrating. The share who said they consider leaving “a lot” rose from 38 percent in 2018 to 51 percent in 2024. Among those contemplating migration, 59 percent cite better job opportunities as the primary driver, highlighting growing frustration over professional and social stability at home.

The brain drain is affecting skilled sectors as well. Kamel Sahnoun, head of the Tunisian Order of Engineers, told a press briefing that about 6,500 engineers left Tunisia in 2022, more than double the annual average of roughly 3,000 in 2013‑2014. The health sector is also losing personnel: the Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation recorded 1,839 healthcare and paramedical workers recruited abroad in 2023, 1,022 in the first nine months of 2024, and 1,244 in 2025. International demand for Tunisian expertise underscores the search for better working and living conditions overseas.

Hamza, a 26‑year‑old software engineer employed by a foreign firm, earns what he describes as a good salary but is still seriously weighing an exit from Tunisia. “It’s no longer just about money,” he tells Al Jazeera, explaining that his decision is shaped by lifestyle considerations, bureaucratic hurdles, uncertainty about the future and the broader economic climate.

Ramadan Ben Omar, a migration researcher, notes that the motivations for leaving Tunisia have become more complex. “The reasons are no longer purely economic,” he says, indicating that a mix of personal, professional and societal factors now drives the emigration trend.