TUNIS - Tunisia's economic growth remained stable at 2.1 percent year-on-year in third quarter, the state statistics institute said on Thursday.

The growth was also 2.1 percent in the third quarter last year.

Figures from the statistics Institute showed that growth in the first nine months of 2017 was to 1.9 percent.

Tunisia is targetting GDP growth of 3 percent next year compared with an expected 2.5 percent this year.

It also aims to cut its budget deficit to 4.9 percent of gross domestic product in 2018, down from about 6 percent expected in 2017.

(Reporting By Tarek Amara Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) ((tarek.amara@thomsonreuters.com;))