Tunisia’s central bank keeps key interest rate at 7.5%

TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia’s central bank said on Wednesday it had kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 7.5%, after cutting it in March for the first time in five years.

Tunisia’s inflation rate stood to 5.4% in June, its lowest level in five years.

The government projects inflation will average 6.2% this year, down from 7% in 2024.

Tunisia’s trade deficit widened to $3.46 billion in the first half of 2025, up from $2.79 billion a year earlier, contributing to a deeper current account deficit, which reached 1.9% of GDP from 1.2% of GDP a year earlier.

($1 = 2.8650 Tunisian dinars)

(Reporting by Tarek AmaraEditing by Mark Potter)