NORTH AFRICA’S THREE ECONOMIC MODELS

Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are often grouped together under the generic label of “North Africa”.

Economically, politically and strategically, however, they are becoming three increasingly different countries.

Morocco is building a diversified, export-oriented economy connected to Europe, Africa, tourism, automotive manufacturing, aerospace, phosphates, logistics and renewable energy.

Algeria remains an energy power whose enormous hydrocarbon resources provide the state with financial strength, but whose long-term challenge is to transform that resource wealth into a genuinely diversified private-sector economy.

Tunisia is smaller, more industrially integrated with Europe and historically more institutionally pluralistic, but it is also the country facing the most difficult combination of weak growth, high unemployment, heavy public debt, financing constraints and political centralization.

All three have another common characteristic:

Europe is economically indispensable to them.

France and Spain are particularly important.

But the relationship is changing.

Morocco increasingly sees itself not merely as Europe’s southern neighbour, but as a gateway between Europe, Africa and the Atlantic.

Algeria sees itself as an energy power with strategic leverage over Europe.

Tunisia remains deeply dependent on European markets, tourism, remittances and investment.

And behind all of this lies a geopolitical problem that Europe has never completely solved:

North Africa is not Europe’s periphery.

It is one of the strategic centres of Europe’s future.

THE NUMBERS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY

The latest World Bank data provide a useful starting point.

In 2025:

Morocco’s nominal GDP was approximately $182.4 billion, with GDP per capita of about $4,673.

Algeria’s GDP was approximately $287.0 billion, with GDP per capita of about $6,051.