ARCHIVE // TD // 2023
Chad
2023 Edition — sovereign
1990
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2015
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2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Communications
Broadcast media
[time series]
1 state-owned TV station; 2 privately-owned TV stations; state-owned radio network, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT), operates national and regional stations; over 10 private radio stations; some stations rebroadcast programs from international broadcasters (2017)
Internet country code
[time series]
.td
Internet users
[time series]
total: 3.06 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 18% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: the telecom infrastructure is particularly poor; fixed, mobile and internet is well below African averages; Chad s telecom market offers some potential for investors to develop services given the low starting base; the country s first 3G/LTE mobile license was awarded in April 2014; Chad finally gained access to international fiber bandwidth in 2012 its national backbone infrastructure remains underdeveloped; the World Bank-funded Central African Backbone (CAB) project takes in Chad, while the country is also party to a Trans-Saharan Backbone project which will link a fiber cable to Nigeria and Algeria (2022) domestic: fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership base of about 60 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 5,300 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 10 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2021 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
sorghum, groundnuts, millet, yams, cereals, sugar cane, beef, maize, cotton, cassava
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $2.29 billion (2020 est.) expenditures: $2.12 billion (2020 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Current account balance
[time series]
-$558 million (2017 est.) -$926 million (2016 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$1.724 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.281 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Economic overview
[time series]
primarily oil-based economy, vulnerable to regional competition and international price shocks; increasing extreme poverty and minimal human capital capacities; one of the most environmentally disrupted economies; high maternal and infant mortality rates destabilizing labor force potentials
Exchange rates
[time series]
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 554.531 (2021 est.) 575.586 (2020 est.) 585.911 (2019 est.) 555.446 (2018 est.) 580.657 (2017 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$2.464 billion (2017 est.) $2.187 billion (2016 est.) note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Exports - commodities
[time series]
crude petroleum, gold, sesame seeds, gum arabic, silver (2021)
Exports - partners
[time series]
China 32%, United Arab Emirates 21%, India 19%, United States 10%, France 6%, Germany 5% (2019)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$10.912 billion (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 75.1% (2017 est.) government consumption: 4.4% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 35.1% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -39.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 52.3% (2017 est.) industry: 14.7% (2017 est.) services: 33.1% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
37.5 (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 30.8% (2003)
Imports
[time series]
$2.16 billion (2017 est.) $1.997 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
delivery trucks, paints, packaged medicines, aircraft, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 29%, United Arab Emirates 16%, France 10%, United States 8%, India 5% (2019)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
0.3% (2021 est.)
Industries
[time series]
oil, cotton textiles, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
-0.77% (2021 est.) 4.46% (2020 est.) -0.97% (2019 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
5.246 million (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
42.3% (2018 est.)
Public debt
[time series]
52.5% of GDP (2017 est.) 52.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$24.49 billion (2021 est.) $24.787 billion (2020 est.) $25.19 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
-1.2% (2021 est.) -1.6% (2020 est.) 3.25% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$1,400 (2021 est.) $1,500 (2020 est.) $1,600 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$310.032 million (31 December 2019 est.) $147.75 million (31 December 2018 est.) $8.575 million (31 December 2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
1.88% (2021 est.) 1.74% (2020 est.) 1.12% (2019 est.) NA
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 2.4% (2021 est.) male: 3.3% female: 1.4%
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
1.771 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.771 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Coal
[time series]
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 87,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 188.46 million kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 111 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
population without electricity: 15 million (2020) electrification - total population: 11.2% (2021) electrification - urban areas: 43.2% (2021) electrification - rural areas: 1.3% (2021)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 96.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
1.575 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
total petroleum production: 87,900 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 12,600 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 116,000 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 1.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
2,285 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 41.15 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 1.02 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 30.69 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
tropical in south, desert in north
Environment - current issues
[time series]
inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas and poor farming practices contribute to soil and water pollution; desertification
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Convention
Food insecurity
[time series]
widespread lack of access: due to civil insecurity and high food prices - according to the latest analysis, about 1.86 million people are projected to experience acute food insecurity during the June to August 2023 lean season period; this would be an improvement compared to the previous year, mostly due to the higher year-on-year cereal output in 2022 after the below average 2021 production; acute food insecurity is underpinned by persisting insecurity in the Lac and Tibesti regions, which had displaced over 380 000 people by April 2023; furthermore, elevated food prices due to high fuel costs and localized crop losses during the 2022 floods are aggravating food insecurity (2023)
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 39.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 35.7% (2018 est.) forest: 9.1% (2018 est.) other: 51.3% (2018 est.)
Major aquifers
[time series]
Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Revenue from coal
[time series]
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
3.81% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
45.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 670 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 24.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,358,851 tons (2010 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 1.284 million sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km water: 24,800 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
almost nine times the size of New York state; slightly more than three times the size of California
Climate
[time series]
tropical in south, desert in north
Coastline
[time series]
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,445 m lowest point: Djourab 160 m mean elevation: 543 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
note 1: Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries note 2: not long ago - geologically speaking - what is today the Sahara was green savannah teeming with wildlife; during the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, a vibrant animal community, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, and antelope lived there; the last remnant of the "Green Sahara" exists in the Lakes of Ounianga (oo-nee-ahn-ga) in northern Chad, a series of 18 interconnected freshwater, saline, and hypersaline lakes now protected as a World Heritage site note 3: Lake Chad, the most significant water body in the Sahel, is a remnant of a former inland sea, paleolake Mega-Chad; at its greatest extent, sometime before 5000 B.C., Lake Mega-Chad was the largest of four Saharan paleolakes that existed during the African Humid Period; it covered an area of about 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq mi), roughly the size of today's Caspian Sea
Irrigated land
[time series]
300 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 6,406 km border countries (6): Cameroon 1,116 km; Central African Republic 1,556 km; Libya 1,050 km; Niger 1,196 km; Nigeria 85 km; Sudan 1,403 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 39.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 35.7% (2018 est.) forest: 9.1% (2018 est.) other: 51.3% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
Central Africa, south of Libya
Major aquifers
[time series]
Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Map references
[time series]
Africa
Maritime claims
[time series]
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
[time series]
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Natural resources
[time series]
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Population distribution
[time series]
the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated as shown in this population distribution map
Terrain
[time series]
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
23 provinces (provinces, singular - province); Barh-El-Gazel, Batha, Borkou, Chari-Baguirmi, Ennedi-Est, Ennedi-Ouest, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi-Est, Mayo-Kebbi-Ouest, Moyen-Chari, N'Djamena, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Wadi-Fira
Capital
[time series]
name: N'Djamena geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 15 02 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: name taken from the Arab name of a nearby village, Nijamina, meaning "place of rest"
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Chad dual citizenship recognized: Chadian law does not address dual citizenship residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years
Constitution
[time series]
history: several previous; latest approved 30 April 2018 by the National Assembly, entered into force 4 May 2018; suspended 21 April 2021 and remained so through April 2022 amendments: proposed as a revision by the president of the republic after a Council of Ministers (cabinet) decision or by the National Assembly; approval for consideration of a revision requires at least three-fifths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires approval by referendum or at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Chad conventional short form: Chad local long form: Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad local short form: Tchad/Tshad etymology: named for Lake Chad, which lies along the country's western border; the word "tsade" means "large body of water" or "lake" in several local native languages note: the only country whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander LASKARIS (since 18 August 2022) embassy: Rond-Point Chagoua, B.P. 413, N Djamena mailing address: 2410 N'Djamena Place, Washington DC 20521-2410 telephone: [235] 2251-5017 FAX: [235] 2253-9102 email address and website: NdjamenaACS@state.gov https://td.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador KITOKO GATA Ngoulou (since 30 June 2023) chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 652-1312 FAX: [1] (202) 578-0431 email address and website: info@chadembassy.us https://chadembassy.us/
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY (since 20 April 2021); note - on 20 April 2021, newly reelected President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. died of injuries sustained following clashes between government forces he was commanding and insurgents in the northern part of the country; following his death, Mahamat Idriss DEBY took control of the country and dismissed the Chadian parliament, establishing a Transitional Military Council and promising elections within 18 months head of government: Interim Prime Minister Albert Pahimi PADACKE (since 26 April 2021); note - PADACKE was appointed interim prime minister by the Transitional Military Council led by Mahamat Idriss DEBY cabinet: Council of Ministers elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 11 April 2021; note - on 20 April 2021, military officials suspended the constitution and formed a Transitional Military Council, pledging to hold democratic elections in October 2022 election results: 2021 : Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (MPS) 79.3%, Pahimi PADACKET Albert (RNDT) 10.3%, Lydie BEASSEMDA (Party for Democracy and Independence) 3.2%, other 7.2% 2016 : Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (MPS) 61.6%, Saleh KEBZABO (UNDR) 12.8%, Laokein Kourayo MEDAR (CTPD) 10.7%, Djimrangar DADNADJI (CAP-SUR) 5.1%, other 9.8%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and red; the flag combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow (gold) of the Pan-African colors; blue symbolizes the sky, hope, and the south of the country, which is relatively well-watered; gold represents the sun, as well as the desert in the north of the country; red stands for progress, unity, and sacrifice note: almost identical to the flag of Romania but with a darker shade of blue; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design based on the flag of France
Government type
[time series]
presidential republic
Independence
[time series]
11 August 1960 (from France)
International law organization participation
[time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MNJTF, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 3 chamber presidents, and 12 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 3 judges and 6 jurists) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice selected by the president; councilors - 8 designated by the president and 7 by the speaker of the National Assembly; chief justice and councilors appointed for life; Constitutional Council judges - 2 appointed by the president and 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly; jurists - 3 each by the president and by the speaker of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms subordinate courts: High Court of Justice; Courts of Appeal; tribunals; justices of the peace
Legal system
[time series]
mixed legal system of civil and customary law
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: formerly a unicameral National Assembly or Assembl e Nationale (188 seats; 163 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 25 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - on 5 October 2021, Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY installed 93 members of an interim parliament, called the National Transitional Council (NTC), replacing the National Assembly which was disbanded after he took control of the country on 20 April 2021; according to DEBY, the NTC will act as a national assembly of transition until the country s next elections take place elections: members of the so called "National Transitional Council" were installed by Interim President DEBY on 5 October 2021 (next parliamentary elections to be held September 2022) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 64, women 29, percent of women 31.2% note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2020, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election; the MPS has held a majority in the NA since 1997
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "La Tchadienne" (The Chadian) lyrics/music: Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD note: adopted 1960
National heritage
[time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 natural, 1 mixed) selected World Heritage Site locales: Lakes of Ounianga (n); Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape (m)
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
goat (north), lion (south); national colors: blue, yellow, red
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Chadian Convention for Peace and Development or CTPD [Laoukein Kourayo MEDARD] Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR] National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-RNDP [Dr. Nouradine Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE] National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO] Party for Unity and Reconstruction or PUR Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [formerly Idriss DEBY] Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mahamat Allahou TAHER] Rally of Chadian Nationalists/Awakening or RNDT/Le Reveil [Albert Pahimi PADACKE] Social Democratic Party for a Change-over of Power or PDSA [Malloum YOBODA] Union for Democracy and the Republic or UDR Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Felix Romadoumngar NIALBE] note 1: 19 additional parties each contributed one member note 2: only parties with at least two seats in the last elected National Assembly (February 2011) included note: on 5 October 2021, Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY appointed 93 members to the interim National Transitional Council (NTC); 30% of the NTC members were retained from parties previously represented in the National Assembly
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
Chad emerged from a collection of powerful states that controlled the Sahelian belt starting around the 9 th century. These states focused on controlling trans-Saharan trade routes and profited mostly from the slave trade. The Kanem-Bornu Empire, centered around the Lake Chad Basin, existed between the 9 th and 19 th centuries, and during its peak, the empire controlled territory stretching from southern Chad to southern Libya and included portions of modern-day Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Sudan. The Sudanese warlord Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR used an army comprised largely of slaves to conquer the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the late 19 th century. In southeastern Chad, the Bagirmi and Ouaddai (Wadai) kingdoms emerged in the 15 th and 16 th centuries and lasted until the arrival of the French in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. France began moving into the region in the late 1880s and defeated the Bagirmi kingdom in 1897, Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR in 1900, and the Ouddai kingdom in 1909. In the arid regions of northern Chad and southern Libya, an Islamic order called the Sanusiyya (Sanusi) relied heavily on the trans-Saharan slave trade and had upwards of 3 million followers by the 1880s. The French arrived in the region in the early 1900s and defeated the Sanusiyya in 1910 after years of intermittent war. By 1910, France had incorporated the northern arid region, the Lake Chad Basin, and southeastern Chad into French Equatorial Africa. Chad achieved its independence in 1960 and saw three decades of instability, oppressive rule, civil war, and a Libyan invasion. With the help of the French military and several African countries, Chadian leaders expelled Libyan forces during the 1987 "Toyota War," so named for the use of Toyota pickup trucks as fighting vehicles. In 1990, Chadian general Idriss DEBY led a rebellion against President Hissene HABRE. Under DEBY, Chad drafted and approved a constitution and held elections in 1996. DEBY led the country until April 2021 when he was killed during a rebel incursion. Shortly after his death, a group of military officials - led by former President DEBY s son, Mahamat Idriss DEBY - took control of the government. The military officials dismissed the National Assembly, suspended the Constitution, and formed a Transitional Military Council while pledging to hold democratic elections in October 2022. Chad faces widespread poverty, an economy severely weakened by low international oil prices, and rebel and terrorist-led insurgencies in the Lake Chad Basin. Additionally, northern Chad has seen several waves of rebellions since 1998. In late 2015, the government imposed a state of emergency in the Lake Chad Basin following multiple attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram, now known as ISIS-West Africa. In mid-2015, Boko Haram conducted bombings in N'Djamena. In late 2019, the Chadian government also declared a state of emergency in the Sila and Ouaddai regions bordering Sudan and in the Tibesti region bordering Niger where rival ethnic groups are still fighting. The army has suffered heavy losses to Islamic terror groups in the Lake Chad Basin. In March 2020, Islamic militants attacked a Chadian military camp in the Lake Chad Basin and killed nearly 100 soldiers; it was the deadliest attack in the history of the Chadian military.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
the ANT has considerable combat experience against insurgents and terrorist groups; it also has a tradition of deep involvement in domestic politics; over the past decade, the ANT has received substantial foreign military assistance, particularly from France, which maintains a military base in N Djamena; the ANT's current operational focus is on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations; it is engaged with the Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Basin area (primarily the Lac Province) and in the Sahel, particularly the tri-border area with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger; in addition, the ANT conducts frequent operations against internal anti-government militias and armed dissident groups several rebel groups operate in northern Chad from bases in southern Libya, including the FACT (Front pour le Changement et la Concorde au Tchad), the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic le Conseil de Commandement Militaire pour le salut de la R publique or CCSMR), the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (le Union des Forces pour la D mocratie et le D veloppement or UFDD), and the Union of Resistance Forces (le Union des Forces de la R sistance UFR); former Chadian President Idriss DEBY was killed in April 2021 during fighting in the northern part of the country between the FACT and the Chadian Army; some armed groups, including the UFDD and UFR, signed an accord in August 2022 in return for the release of prisoners, amnesty, and an end to hostilities between the Chadian Government and these armed factions; however, other armed groups, including the FACT and CCSMR, refused to join the accord (2023)
Military and security forces
[time series]
Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT): Land Forces (l'Armee de Terre, AdT), Chadian Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air Tchadienne, AAT), General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions (Direction Generale des Services de Securite des Institutions de l'Etat, GDSSIE); National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Public Security and Immigration: National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT) (2023) note 1: the GDSSIE, formerly known as the Republican Guard, is the presidential guard force and is considered to be Chad's elite military unit; it is reportedly a division-sized force with infantry, armor, and special forces/anti-terrorism regiments (known as the Special Anti-Terrorist Group or SATG, aka Division of Special Anti-Terrorist Groups or DGSAT) note 2: the Chadian National Police are under the Ministry of Public Security and Immigration; border security duties are shared by the Army, Customs (Ministry of Public Security and Immigration), the Gendarmerie, and the GNNT
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
limited and varied information; estimated to have up to 35,000 active ANT personnel (approximately 25-30,000 Ground Forces, 5,000 GDSSIE, and a few hundred Air Force); approximately 5,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 3,000 Nomadic Guard (2023)
Military deployments
[time series]
note: Chad has committed approximately 1,000-1,500 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically; in 2019, Chad sent more than 1,000 troops to Nigeria s Borno State to fight Boko Haram as part of the MNJTF mission
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the ANT is mostly armed with older or secondhand equipment from Belgium, France, Russia, and the former Soviet Union; in recent years it has received equipment, including donations, from other countries, including China, Turkey, and the US (2023)
Military expenditures
[time series]
2.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.9% of GDP (2020 est.) 2% of GDP (2019 est.) 2% of GDP (2018 est.)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service for men with an 18-36 month service obligation (information varies); women are subject to 12 months of compulsory military or civic service at age 21; 18-35 for voluntary service; soldiers released from active duty are in the reserves until the age of 50 (2023)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 46.24% (male 4,334,264/female 4,231,658) 15-64 years: 51.27% (male 4,646,510/female 4,849,878) 65 years and over: 2.49% (2023 est.) (male 197,450/female 263,405)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 0.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
39.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Child marriage
[time series]
women married by age 15: 24.2% women married by age 18: 60.6% men married by age 18: 8.1% (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
18.9% (2022)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
8.1% (2019)
Current health expenditure
[time series]
5.4% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
70.6% (2023 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Demographic profile
[time series]
Despite the start of oil production in 2003, around 40% of Chad s population lived below the poverty line as of 2018. The population will continue to grow rapidly because of the country s very high fertility rate and large youth cohort more than 65% of the populace is under the age of 25 as of 2022 although the mortality rate is high and life expectancy is low. Chad has the world s second highest maternal mortality rate as of 2017. Among the primary risk factors are poverty, anemia, rural habitation, high fertility, poor education, and a lack of access to family planning and obstetric care. Impoverished, uneducated adolescents living in rural areas are most affected. To improve women s reproductive health and reduce fertility, Chad will need to increase women s educational attainment, job participation, and knowledge of and access to family planning. Less than a quarter of women are literate, less than 10% use contraceptives, and more than 40% undergo genital cutting. As of December 2022, more than 403,000 refugees from Sudan and more than 120,000 from the Central African Republic strain Chad s limited resources and create tensions in host communities. Thousands of new refugees fled to Chad in 2013 to escape worsening violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The large refugee populations are hesitant to return to their home countries because of continued instability. Chad was relatively stable in 2012 in comparison to other states in the region, but past fighting between government forces and opposition groups and inter-communal violence have left more than 380,000 of its citizens displaced in the eastern part of the country as of 2022.
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 98.7 youth dependency ratio: 94.7 elderly dependency ratio: 4 potential support ratio: 24.9 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 90.2% of population rural: 51.9% of population total: 60.9% of population unimproved: urban: 9.8% of population rural: 48.1% of population total: 39.1% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
2.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Sara (Ngambaye/Sara/Madjingaye/Mbaye) 30.5%, Kanembu/Bornu/Buduma 9.8%, Arab 9.7%, Wadai/Maba/Masalit/Mimi 7%, Gorane 5.8%, Masa/Musseye/Musgum 4.9%, Bulala/Medogo/Kuka 3.7%, Marba/Lele/Mesme 3.5%, Mundang 2.7%, Bidiyo/Migaama/Kenga/Dangleat 2.5%, Dadjo/Kibet/Muro 2.4%, Tupuri/Kera 2%, Gabri/Kabalaye/Nanchere/Somrai 2%, Fulani/Fulbe/Bodore 1.8%, Karo/Zime/Peve 1.3%, Baguirmi/Barma 1.2%, Zaghawa/Bideyat/Kobe 1.1%, Tama/Assongori/Mararit 1.1%, Mesmedje/Massalat/Kadjakse 0.8%, other Chadian ethnicities 3.4%, Chadians of foreign ethnicities 0.9%, foreign nationals 0.3%, unspecified 1.7% (2014-15 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
2.62 (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 64 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 69.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 58.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 59.6 years (2023 est.) male: 57.7 years female: 61.5 years
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic total population: 26.8% male: 35.4% female: 18.2% (2021)
Major infectious diseases
[time series]
degree of risk: very high (2023) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever water contact diseases: schistosomiasis animal contact diseases: rabies respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Chad is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an infected person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
1.592 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
1,063 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 16.5 years (2023 est.) male: 16.1 years female: 17 years
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
18.1 years (2014/15 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian
Net migration rate
[time series]
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
6.1% (2016)
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Population
[time series]
18,523,165 (2023 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated as shown in this population distribution map
Population growth rate
[time series]
3.05% (2023 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Muslim 52.1%, Protestant 23.9%, Roman Catholic 20%, animist 0.3%, other Christian 0.2%, none 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2014-15 est.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 57.5% of population rural: 4.9% of population total: 17.3% of population unimproved: urban: 42.5% of population rural: 95.1% of population total: 82.7% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 7 years male: 9 years female: 6 years (2015)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 8.3% (2020 est.) male: 13.8% (2020 est.) female: 2.7% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
5.35 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 24.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
[time series]
Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - West Africa (ISIS-WA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
over 100,000 refugees have fled the 2023 conflict in Sudan to Chad, adding to the 600,000 mostly Sudanese refugees already in Chad after fleeing previous conflicts, especially in the Darfur region; Chad and Sudan share the same ethnic groups along both sides of their common 1,400-km-long border; in 2010, relations with Sudan were normalized, and the two countries established a joint border monitoring force, which has helped to reduce cross-border banditry and violence; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Illicit drugs
[time series]
NA
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 418,187 (Sudan) (includes refugees since 15 April 2023), 128,619 (Central African Republic), 26,692 (Cameroon), 21,178 (Nigeria) (2023) IDPs: 215,918 (majority are in the east) (2023)
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Chad does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; officials investigated trafficking cases and finalized a National Action Plan for 2021-2022 and began implementation of standard operating procedures and a National Referral Mechanism for identifying and referring victims for care; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increased efforts to increase anti-trafficking capacity; government turnover hindered Chad s ability to maintain consistent anti-trafficking efforts and reporting; authorities did not report prosecuting or convicting any traffickers, identifying victims, or conducting awareness campaigns; nonetheless, because the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards, Chad was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from downgrade to Tier 3; therefore, Chad remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year (2022) trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Chad, and traffickers exploit Chadian victims abroad; most trafficking is internal; some children are sent by their parents to relatives or intermediaries to receive education, an apprenticeship, goods, or money and are then forced to work in domestic service or cattle herding; children are also forced to work in agriculture, gold mines, charcoal vending, and fishing, and those attending Koranic schools are forced into begging and street vending; girls from rural areas who search for work in larger towns are exploited in sex trafficking and domestic servitude; terrorist groups abduct children to serve as soldiers, suicide bombers, brides, and forced laborers (2022)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
59 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
9 note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the typical length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
50 note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
TT
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
Pipelines
[time series]
582 km oil (2013)
Roadways
[time series]
total: 40,000 km (2018) note: consists of 25,000 km of national and regional roads and 15,000 km of local roads; 206 km of urban roads are paved
Waterways
[time series]
12,400 km (2022) (Chari and Logone Rivers are navigable only in wet season) Chari is 11,400 km Legone is 1,000 km