The distinguishing features of the population of the Mahdia governorate, which totals 393 800 (January 2010), are its youth (51% under 25) and its dynamism: 23% of the population works in agriculture and fishing, 18.1% in manufacturing, and 41.6% in services.

A core of university institutions providing courses in science, economics, technology and, soon in medicine and tourism:

	Faculty of Economic Science and Management at Mahdia
	Higher Institute of Technological Studies at Mahdia
	Higher Institute of Applied Studies in Humanities at Mahdia
	The Higher Institute of Computer Sciences in Mahdia
	The Higher Institute of Arts and Trades in Mahdia
	The Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology in Mahdia

Three public and private vocational training centers with capacity for 2140 trainees in various technical fields (mechanics, cooling systems, carpentry, sewing, leather working, computers, mosaics and weaving) which are highly demanded by local industrial companies.

Having become a recent location for industries, this governorate shelters 137 industrial firms (providing 10 or more jobs) 92 of which are totally exporting. Two-thirds of these industrial firms operate in the textiles and clothing sector.

There are also 49 firms with foreign equity holdings, operating in the sectors of industry, tourism, farming and services.

For a few years now, the Mahdia governorate has turned into one of the most appreciated tourist destinations for customers looking for an original blend between the beauty of the natural seaside and the wealth of the historic and cultural heritage (El Jem’s Roman Coliseum, Mahdia’s old Fatimide town and traditional museums). Its 24 hotels, including 9 luxury-class, have a capacity of 9,552 beds. In addition, the new tourist development zone at Ghebabna, forecast to accommodate 19,000 beds, can only bolster the region’s tourist vocation.