A recent survey conducted by the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) has revealed that the power outages experienced in Tunisia during the summer of 2026 resulted in substantial economic losses for businesses. The survey, which polled companies across the industry, commerce, and services sectors, estimated that the direct cost of business interruptions caused by these outages was around 1.269 billion dinars.
According to the IACE survey, 96% of the companies polled reported experiencing power outages in July and August 2026, with an average of 13 working days lost. Furthermore, 58.3% of these companies stated that they faced multiple power outages per day. The losses also extended to equipment, with nearly two-thirds of the companies reporting damage to their machinery, computers, and servers.
The power outages not only affected companies' operations but also had a significant impact on their commercial results. A total of 63.5% of the companies surveyed reported a decline in their turnover, with this figure rising to 83% in the industrial sector. Among export companies, 29.4% reported missing deadlines, resulting in penalties or loss of clients.
The IACE estimates that the industry sector incurred the largest losses, with 671.5 million dinars in estimated losses, followed by the services sector with 316.1 million dinars, and commerce with 282.1 million dinars. These figures represent the value added that companies were unable to generate due to the business interruptions.
The survey also found that the power outages are likely to have a lasting impact on companies' investment decisions. A total of 56% of the companies polled did not have backup equipment prior to the summer of 2026, and 74% are now considering investing in measures to secure their power supply over the next 12 months.
Moreover, 51.9% of the companies surveyed reported postponing their investment projects. The IACE warns that this situation poses a risk to the competitiveness of Tunisian companies, as the costs associated with acquiring backup equipment may divert resources away from productive investments.
The survey also highlighted that none of the companies polled had received compensation for the losses incurred due to the power outages, with only 1% reporting that they had submitted claims for compensation that were either pending or had been rejected.
Key points
- The power outages experienced by Tunisian businesses during the summer of 2026 resulted in estimated losses of 1.269 billion dinars.
- 96% of companies surveyed reported experiencing power outages, with an average of 13 working days lost.
- The industrial sector incurred the largest losses, with estimated losses of 671.5 million dinars.
