Chad
Republic of Chad
Population
19.67M
Area
1.284 km²
GDP
$20.63B
GDP Per Capita
$2,600
Pop. Density
15,322,433/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
FrCentral African CFA franc(XAF)
Calling Code
+235
Timezone
UTC+01:00
Languages
Arabic, French
Driving Side
right
Demonym
Chadian
Background
Chad emerged from a collection of powerful states that controlled the Sahelian belt starting around the 9th 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 9th and 19th centuries, and at its peak, the empire controlled territory stretching from southern Chad to southern Libya and included portions of modern-day Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan. The Sudanese warlord Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR used an army comprised largely of slaves to conquer the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the late 19th century. In southeastern Chad, the Bagirmi and Ouaddai (Wadai) kingdoms emerged in the 15th and 16th centuries and lasted until the arrival of the French in the 19th and 20th 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 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 then 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 approved a constitution and held elections in 1996. Shortly after DEBY was killed during a rebel incursion in 2021, a group of military officials -- led by 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 (TMC), while pledging to hold democratic elections by October 2022. A national dialogue in August-October 2022 culminated in decisions to extend the transition for up to two years, dissolve the TMC, and appoint Mahamat DEBY as Transitional President; the transitional authorities held a constitutional referendum in December 2023 and claimed 86 percent of votes were in favor of the new constitution. The transitional authorities have announced plans to hold elections by October 2024.
Chad has faced widespread poverty, an economy severely weakened by volatile international oil prices, terrorist-led insurgencies in the Lake Chad Basin, and several waves of rebellions in northern and eastern Chad. In 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. The same year, Boko Haram conducted bombings in N'Djamena. In 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.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑101.0% since 2006Population
↑89.6% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 55.1 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography20
Location
Central Africa, south of Libya
Geographic coordinates
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 1,259,200 sq km
water: 24,800 sq km
Area - comparative
almost nine times the size of New York state; slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries
border countries: 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
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
Elevation
lowest point: Djourab 160 m
mean elevation: 543 m
Natural resources
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
300 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
note - area varies by season and year to year
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Major aquifers
Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System
Population distribution
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
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Geography - note
note 2: a wide variety of animals lived in modern-day Chad during the African Humid Period, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, and antelope; the last remnant of this "Green Sahara" exists in the Lakes of Ounianga in northern Chad, a series of 18 interconnected freshwater, saline, and hypersaline lakes
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
People & Society36
Population
male: 9,756,129
female: 9,917,875
Nationality
adjective: Chadian
Ethnic groups
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 4.6%, unspecified 1.7% (2014-15 est.)
Languages
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.
Religions
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.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 51.7% (male 4,831,744/female 5,031,383)
65 years and over: 2.5% (2024 est.) (male 204,823/female 274,115)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 87.2 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 20.6 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 16.3 years
female: 17.2 years
Population growth rate
2.98% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
38.62 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
8.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
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
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.592 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
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 (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
18.1 years (2014/15 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
748 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 68.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 56.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 58.1 years
female: 62 years
Total fertility rate
5.13 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
2.51 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 7.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
6.1% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
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.)
Tobacco use
male: 11.8% (2025 est.)
female: 1.3% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
18.2% (2022 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
72.6% (2019 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 60.6% (2019)
men married by age 18: 8.1% (2019)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 16.5% national budget (2023 est.)
Literacy
male: 44.5% (2019 est.)
female: 18.6% (2019 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 9 years (2015 est.)
female: 6 years (2015 est.)
Government25
Country name
conventional short form: Chad
local long form: République du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad
local short form: Tchad/Tshad
etymology: named for Lake Chad, which lies along the country's western border; taken from a local word meaning "large body of water" or "lake"
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 15 02 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: said to derive its name from a local word meaning "place of rest"
Administrative divisions
23 provinces; 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
Legal system
mixed system of civil and customary law
Constitution
amendment process: previous process: 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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2024: Mahamat Idriss DÉBY elected president; percent of vote - Mahamat Idriss DÉBY (MPS) 61%, Succes MASRA (Transformers) 18.5%, Albert PADACKE 16.9%, other 3.6%
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
number of seats
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
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; Supreme Council of the Judiciary - with the exception of the Judiciary president and vice president, members are elected for single renewable 4-year terms
subordinate courts: High Court of Justice; Courts of Appeal; tribunals; justices of the peace
Political parties
Federation Action for the Republic or FAR
National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-RNDP
National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR
Party for Unity and Reconstruction or PUR
Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS
Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP
Rally of Chadian Nationalists/Awakening or RNDT/Le Reveil
Social Democratic Party for a Change-over of Power or PDSA
Union for Democracy and the Republic or UDR
Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD
Transformers
Diplomatic representation in the US
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/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
NdjamenaACS@state.gov
https://td.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
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
Independence
11 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Flag
meaning: combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow Pan-African colors; blue stands for the sky, hope, and the south of the country; gold for the sun and the desert in the north; red for progress, unity, and sacrifice
National symbol(s)
goat (north), lion (south)
National color(s)
blue, yellow, red
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD
history: adopted 1960
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Lakes of Ounianga (n); Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape (m)
Economy29
Economic overview
oil-dependent economy challenged by market fluctuations, regional instability, refugee influx, and climate vulnerability; high levels of extreme poverty and food insecurity; recent growth driven by oil and agricultural recovery; debt-restructuring agreement under G20 Common Framework
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $51.03 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $49.012 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 12.9% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $2,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $2,700 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$20.626 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 10.8% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 5.8% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 29.7% (2024 est.)
services: 31.6% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
sorghum, groundnuts, millet, beef, cereals, yams, sugarcane, maize, cassava, milk (2023)
Industries
oil, cotton textiles, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate
5.1% (2024 est.)
Labor force
6.6 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 1.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 1.1% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 2.1% (2024 est.)
female: 0.7% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
44.8% (2022 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 29.5% (2022 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 0% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 0% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $2.15 billion (2020 est.)
Public debt
Exports
Exports 2023: $5.7 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $5.658 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners
UAE 26%, China 19%, Germany 17%, Netherlands 13%, France 10% (2023)
Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, gold, oil seeds, gum resins, cotton (2023)
Imports
Imports 2023: $3.271 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $2.898 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners
China 28%, UAE 23%, Turkey 10%, France 9%, India 5% (2023)
Imports - commodities
jewelry, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicine, cars, refined petroleum (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $1.013 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $211.591 million (2021 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy6
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 46.3%
electrification - rural areas: 1.3%
Electricity
consumption: 282.103 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 109.04 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 1.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2024 est.) The telephone system is down. No data is available for the year 2024.
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 73 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media
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
.td
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Transportation2
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
TT
Airports
44 (2025)
Military & Security7
Military and security forces
Ministry of Public Security and Immigration: National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT) (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 2.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 35-40,000 active Chadian National Army personnel (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the ANT has a mix of older, secondhand, and some more modern armaments from a variety of suppliers, including Brazil, China, France, Russia/former Soviet Union, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the UAE (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18-25 for voluntary service; men subject to 18-36 months of compulsory service at age 20; women are subject to 12 months of compulsory military or civic service at age 21 (2025)
Military deployments
Military - note
Transnational Issues2
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 1,542,532 (2024 est.)