The first COVID-19 wave had mainly economic and social rather than health consequences in Tunisia, given the rapidity and
severity of authorities’ responses. Economic, social, and political constraints prevented the country from implementing more
stringent measures to manage subsequent waves. As a result, COVID-19 had much more damaging consequences on Tunisian
lives and livelihoods thereafter, particularly in the summer of 2021. The acceleration of the vaccination campaign in August
2021 allowed the country to return to a very low COVID-19 caseload and the number of deaths fell substantially at the end of
September 2021.
In this country report we focus on how Tunisian households and micro, small, and medium enterprises were affected by the
pandemic through June 2021. This analysis is based on a series of phone panel surveys targeting individuals with mobile
phones aged 18-64. The COVID-19 MENA Monitor also included a firm panel survey targeting private sector firms with 6-199
workers prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis (in February 2020)1
.
The main objective of the report is to analyse livelihood outcomes and highlight who was particularly affected by the pandemic.
We examine pandemic containment measures, pre-existing challenges, and key policy issues such as government support to
households and enterprises.
We find steady improvement in labour market indicators from November 2020 to June 2021. Increases in employment and
labour force participation rates were mainly driven by men in February and April 2021 and women in June 2021. Labour
market outcomes impacted household incomes, which improved from November 2020 to April 2021, and then deteriorated
again in June 2021. Moreover, the impact on household income varied across income categories and labour market statuses.
The lower three quartiles of households experienced much larger losses than the highest income quartile, particularly the
poorest quartile in June 2021. Informal wage workers outside establishments and self-employed individuals experienced the
largest declines in their incomes.
The survey period was also very difficult for farmers due mainly to difficulties accessing inputs, likely because of the lockdown,
financial constraints, and drought. Data from non-farm enterprises showed that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had
much fewer closures than microenterprises. Moreover, half of SMEs applied for and received government support, while only
one fourth of microenterprises did so. Access to inputs and loss in demand substituted for access to customers as the main
difficulties facing enterprises over time. The main adaptation tool for microenterprises was the phone, while for SMEs it was
the web and social media.
The large majority of households reported experiencing food insecurity due to higher food prices and lower incomes. More
than half of households even had to reduce meals and portions. They coped with the difficulties of the pandemic by using
their savings and relying on family support and government support, particularly for the poorest quartile of households.
As for education, Tunisia’s reliance on online delivery was modest. Most children were back to school by February 2021.
However, the burden put on households in terms of childcare, and particularly on women, increased with the return to classes.
Homework was presumably more demanding than in pre-pandemic years because social distancing measures imposed a
lighter presence at school.
Worry about infection with COVID-19 increased substantially in June 2021 following the beginning of the worst COVID-19 wave
in Tunisia. This concern with infection went in the opposite direction of precautionary behaviours, which were falling gradually
since November 2020. A substantial increase in the proportion of people reporting low wellbeing, which was already high,
was observed in June 2021.
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