The National Olympic Committee of Tunisia was formed on 27 May 1957. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected recognition on 20 November 1956 at the Melbourne Session due to political reasons, but provisional recognition followed at the IOC Session in Sofia on 23 September 1957. Tunisia has competed at the Olympic Games since 1960, missing only the 1980 Moskva Olympics, and boycotting the 1976 Montréal Olympics, although a few of its athletes had already competed. It has never competed at the Olympic Winter Games.

Tunisia has won 15 Olympic medals with five golds. Four of them (including one gold) were won byMohamad Gammoudi, a distance runner, who won the5,000 metres in 1968. The most gold medals have been won by swimmerOussama Mellouli, who won golds in the1,500 metres freestyle in 2008 and the10 kilometres open water in 2012. (besides a bronze medal in the1,500 metres freestyle also in 2012).