Fertility rates across the Maghreb (the North African region comprising Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) have fallen by more than half since the 1970s, driven by economic pressures, later marriages, rising female education, and wider access to contraception. Demographers warn that Tunisia is already experiencing a shrinking working-age population alongside a growing proportion of elderly citizens — a structural shift that could force the country to rely increasingly on migrant labour. The trend reflects broader changes in social expectations around family size, with many young couples now viewing two children as the practical limit given the high cost of living and low average incomes.