Tunis, May 1, 2026 — After months of anticipation, the Tunisian government has officially published the regulatory decrees formalizing salary and pension increases for the public and private sectors. The decrees appeared in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Tunisia (JORT) on April 30, 2026, one day after a key Council of Ministers meeting, setting binding figures for workers and retirees through 2028.
From Framework to Law: The April 28 Council of Ministers Meeting
On behalf of President Kaïs Saïed and under his instructions, Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri chaired the Council of Ministers on April 28 at the Government Palace in Kasbah to review the regulatory texts related to wage and salary increases in both the public and private sectors.
The Prime Minister stressed that the session was the culmination of a series of meetings held by the President to examine the implementation of Article 15 of the Finance Law for the current year — covering wage and salary increases in the public and private sectors, as well as pensions, for 2026, 2027, and 2028. The Council discussed eight decrees: four concerning the public sector and four concerning the private sector.
The Decrees: Published April 30, 2026
The Official Gazette, issued on April 30, 2026, published regulatory decrees Nos. 66 to 69 of 2026, concerning the setting of the agricultural and non-agricultural guaranteed minimum wage (SMIG and SMAG) and wage increases in sectors governed by the Labour Code for 2026, 2027, and 2028. The decrees also stipulate that the increases apply to pensions and provide for penalties against violators.
New SMIG Rates for Non-Agricultural Workers (Decree No. 67)
For employees on a 48-hour weekly regime, the SMIG rises to 554.736 dinars/month in 2026, then to 582.400 dinars in 2027, reaching 611.520 dinars in 2028. Employees on the 40-hour regime will see their floor rise to 470.251 dinars this year, progressing to 517.571 dinars by 2028. For hourly workers, the minimum rate is set at 2.667 dinars/hour (48h regime) and 2.713 dinars/hour (40h regime), with annual increases through 2028.
The decree applies to all employees aged 18 and above in non-agricultural sectors covered by the Labour Code, including piece-rate, task-based, and performance-based workers, whose employers are required to top up remuneration to meet the new floor. Workers under 18 cannot receive less than 85% of the adult SMIG. Employees whose total compensation — including bonuses and allowances — already exceeds the new minimum are not entitled to an additional increase under this decree. Employers who fail to comply face sanctions under Article 3 of the Labour Code.
Private Sector Wage Increases Under Collective Agreements (Decree No. 68)
Decree No. 68 provides for an annual 5% increase in base wages, as well as transport and attendance bonuses, in non-agricultural sectors governed by collective agreements. This measure applies across the 2026–2028 period and covers all employees under sectoral agreements, with progressive application based on existing salary grids.
New SMAG Rates for Agricultural Workers
The daily agricultural minimum wage (SMAG) rises to 21.336 dinars from January 1, 2026, then to 22.400 dinars in 2027 and 23.520 dinars in 2028. A technical bonus for qualified agricultural workers is also set, ranging from 1.138 to 1.255 dinars per day depending on the year.
Impact on Pensions
The SMIG increase automatically extends to pensions paid by the CNSS (National Social Security Fund). Retirees whose pensions are indexed to the minimum wage will see their allocations revised upward in the same proportions. This broadens the social impact of the decrees but also adds pressure to pension funds already operating under fiscal strain.
Retroactive Application from January 1, 2026
The decrees abrogate all prior contrary provisions and take retroactive effect from January 1, 2026, meaning workers and retirees are owed back pay for any gap between the old and new rates since the start of the year.
Broader Context
Tunisia has opted for a gradual approach: the three-year phased structure reflects a central constraint — the state has limited immediate budgetary room. The implicit wager is that the Tunisian economy will generate sufficient value and formal employment to sustain the commitments through 2028.
President Saïed has emphasized the government’s commitment to advancing social policy across all sectors and continuing the fight against corruption and nepotism, and instructed the completion of a digital platform for recruiting long-term unemployed individuals, insisting that appointments must be based on fairness and justice.
