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Tunisia rises to 71st in 2026 Global Innovation Index

By , based on La Presse de Tunisie

Tunisia rises to 71st in 2026 Global Innovation IndexIllustrative image · Gustavo Fring · Pexels · Licence Pexels

Tunisia rose five places in WIPO's 2026 Global Innovation Index, from 76th to 71st among 139 economies. Higher Education Minister Mondher Belaïd also highlighted the country's 56th place for innovation outputs and first place worldwide for the share of graduates in science and engineering, according to La Presse de Tunisie.

Tunisia ranks 71st among 139 economies in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, gaining five places from 76th in 2025, Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Mondher Belaïd said on Saturday during a joint hearing of parliamentary committees on his ministry's budget, La Presse de Tunisie reports.

The country ranks 56th worldwide for innovation outputs, compared with 92nd for inputs, the minister said. The index, published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), also ranks Tunisia first worldwide for the number of graduates in science and engineering, 12th for scientific output and 45th for human capital and research. In Africa, it ranks fourth, behind Mauritius, South Africa and Morocco, and ahead of Egypt, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana and Senegal.

Mondher Belaïd nevertheless highlighted persistent challenges: Tunisia ranks 124th for the business environment and 112th for innovation linkages. He called for greater private-sector contribution to research and development and stronger links between universities, research centres and businesses.

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