For Maher Qassem, the phrase “beyond money” sums up why he is considering leaving his country.
asserted
he → sum → country
After years of working in the media and trying to secure a stable life for his family, he is now thinking of starting over abroad.
asserted
he → work → family
Buying a home and planning for a better future have given way to more immediate concerns: covering monthly expenses and meeting mounting financial commitments.
asserted
Buying → buy → commitments
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Qassem says almost his entire salary goes towards loan repayments, rent and his son’s education.
asserted
salary → speak → repayments
At times, he adds, he has been unable to help his sick mother pay for medication and treatment.
asserted
mother → add → medication
Qassem is among many young Tunisians who see little meaningful change in their daily lives.
asserted
who → see → lives
Seven years into President Kais Saied’s rule, he worries about his son’s prospects and the quality of life the country can offer future generations.
asserted
country → worry → generations
Others, however, continue to trust the president.
asserted
Others → continue → president
Tunisians remain divided between those who believe the past several years have failed to deliver the change they hoped for and those who still believe reform is possible.
asserted
reform → remain → change
These contrasting views unfold against a backdrop of persistent economic difficulties.
asserted
views → contrast → difficulties
No change
Ghaith remembers the excitement surrounding the 2019 presidential election and the expectations raised by Saied’s victory.
asserted
Ghaith → remember → victory
He was 19 at the time, had little interest in politics, and did not vote.
asserted
He → have → politics
But he recalls the hope that accompanied the president’s election.
asserted
that → recall → election
Seven years later, Ghaith says, little has changed in his own life.
asserted
little → say → life
The cost-of-living pressures that existed then remain, he tells Al Jazeera, while ordinary citizens continue to face recurring difficulties obtaining some essential goods and services.
asserted
citizens → exist → goods
He is also frustrated by the authorities’ communication with the public.
asserted
He → frustrate → public
Tunisians want clearer answers about government policies and the results they are expected to deliver, he says.
asserted
he → want → policies
They also want accountability and a clear vision for the future.
asserted
They → want → future
For Qassem, the reasons for leaving extend beyond economic hardship.
asserted
reasons → leave → hardship
He believes working as a journalist has become more difficult, too.
asserted
working → believe → journalist
Not everyone has lost faith in the president.
asserted
everyone → lose → president
Mohamed Amine, a taxi driver in his 30s, voted for Saied in the most recent presidential election and remains convinced that he can improve the country’s situation.
asserted
he → vote → situation
The president is “sincere in his intentions” and wants change, Amine tells Al Jazeera.
asserted
Amine → want → Jazeera
He believes, however, that various obstacles have hindered Saied’s reform programme.
asserted
obstacles → believe → programme
It is too early to judge the outcome, he says.
asserted
he → judge → outcome
The president should be given more time.
asserted
president → give → time
Unemployment and emigration
Unemployment, particularly among young people and university graduates, remains a major challenge in Tunisia.
asserted
Unemployment → remain → Tunisia
According to the National Institute of Statistics, the unemployment rate stood at 14.9 percent in the second quarter of 2026, with approximately 622,000 people out of work.
uncertain
people → accord → work
Unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 reached 35.4 percent, while the rate among university graduates stood at 26.6 percent.
asserted
rate → age → percent
Among female university graduates, it was 35.6 percent, compared with 14.2 percent among men.
asserted
it → compare → men
The desire to leave is widespread.
asserted
desire → leave → ?
A study by Afrobarometer, an independent African research network that conducts public-opinion surveys across the continent, found that around two-thirds of young Tunisians had considered emigrating.
asserted
thirds → conduct → Tunisians
The proportion who said they thought about leaving “a lot” rose from 38 percent in 2018 to 51 percent in 2024.
asserted
they → say → 2024
Among young people considering emigration, 59 percent cited better job opportunities as their main motivation.
asserted
percent → consider → motivation
The findings point to frustration among a section of Tunisia’s youth and growing concerns about the prospects for professional and social stability at home.
asserted
findings → point → home
The loss of skilled workers
The desire to leave extends beyond young people seeking their first jobs.
asserted
desire → leave → jobs
Tunisia is also losing qualified professionals trained in the country.
asserted
Tunisia → lose → country
Kamel Sahnoun, head of the Tunisian Order of Engineers, said at a press conference organised by the professional body that approximately 6,500 engineers left Tunisia in 2022 alone.
asserted
engineers → say → 2022
The figure compares with an annual average of about 3,000 in 2013 and 2014, highlighting the scale of the departure of skilled workers.
asserted
figure → compare → workers
The healthcare sector is also losing professionals.
asserted
sector → lose → professionals
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
