Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
(2022 est.) less than 1
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
0 (2022 est.)
Communications: 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)
Communications: Internet country code
.td
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
12.63% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
(2024 est.) The telephone system is down. No data is available for the year 2024.
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
(2024 est.) The telephone system is down. No data is available for the year 2024.
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
73 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
14.8 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
sorghum, groundnuts, millet, beef, cereals, yams, sugarcane, maize, cassava, milk (2023)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$2.15 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$2.129 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2022
$3.270 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$2.286 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
606.345 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
493.900 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
493.757 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
591.212 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
592.606 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
580.657 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
555.446 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
585.911 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
575.586 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
554.531 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
623.760 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
606.570 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
606.345 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, gold, oil seeds, gum resins, cotton (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$5.450 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$4.198 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$4.063 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$2.945 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$3.095 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$3.961 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$3.722 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$3.179 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$4.435 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$5.658 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$5.7 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$5.799 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
28.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
8.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
61.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-17.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
14.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
3.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
32.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
29.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
31.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,743 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$20.626 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$55.674 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018
37.5 (2018 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022
37.4 (2022 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
29.5% (2022 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.8% (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
jewelry, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicine, cars, refined petroleum (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$4.118 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$3.000 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$2.781 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$2.684 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$3.202 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$3.236 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$2.890 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$2.980 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$2.898 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$3.271 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$3.557 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
5.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
4.38% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
-0.79% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
-1.54% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
4.27% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
-0.97% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
4.46% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
-0.77% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
5.79% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
10.84% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
8.90% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
6.6 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
44.80% (2022 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
52.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$30.267 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$34.825 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$32.044 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$32.763 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$39.238 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$37.653 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$43.413 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$49.012 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$51.03 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$52.895 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
3.30% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
-4.12% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
-1.62% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
5.74% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
5.38% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-0.39% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
0.29% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
12.9% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
3.98% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
4.20% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$2,133 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$2,378 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$2,120 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$2,097 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$2,352 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$2,186 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$2,435 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$2,624 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$2,700 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
0% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$368.9 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$8.2 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$8.6 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$147.8 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$310.0 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$390.7 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$211.591 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$1.013 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$1.05 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$1.548 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
1.08% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
1.70% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
1.53% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
1.08% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
1.06% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
1.05% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
0.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
2.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
1.5% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
20 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
1.3%
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
11.7% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
46.3%
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
94.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: wind
2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
282.103 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
167,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
109.04 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
1.502 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
1.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
124,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
2 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
2.054 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
2.054 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
tropical in south, desert in north
Environment: Environmental issues
inadequate supplies of potable water; soil and water pollution from improper waste disposal in rural areas and poor farming practices; desertification
Environment: International environmental agreements: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
Marine Dumping-London Convention
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
40% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 35.7% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
3.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
57% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
1,282.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
101.8 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
12 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
60.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
41.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
45.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
672.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
103.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
103.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
26.93% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
1.359 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
11.1% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
almost nine times the size of New York state; slightly more than three times the size of California
Geography: Area: land
1,259,200 sq km
Geography: Area: water
24,800 sq km
Geography: Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Emi Koussi 3,445 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Djourab 160 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
543 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
note 1: Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries 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
Geography: Irrigated land
300 sq km (2012)
Geography: 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
Geography: Land boundaries: total
6,406 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
40% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 35.7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
3.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
57% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major aquifers
Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System
Geography: Major lakes (area sq km): 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
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Africa
Geography: Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Geography: Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Geography: 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
Geography: Terrain
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
Government: 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
Government: Capital: etymology
said to derive its name from a local word meaning "place of rest"
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
12 06 N, 15 02 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
both parents must be citizens of Chad
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
Chadian law does not address dual citizenship
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
15 years
Government: 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
Government: Constitution: history
several previous; latest adopted by National Transitional Council 27 June 2023, approved by referendum 17 December, verified by Chad Supreme Court 28 December, promulgated 1 January 2024
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Chad
Government: Country name: 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: Country name: local long form
République du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad
Government: Country name: local short form
Tchad/Tshad
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires William FLENS (since July 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
NdjamenaACS@state.gov https://td.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
Rond-Point Chagoua, B.P. 413, N’Djamena
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[235] 2253-9102
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
2410 N'Djamena Place, Washington DC 20521-2410
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[235] 6885-1065
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires ANWAR SADAT Fatahalbab (since 30 July 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
info@chadembassy.us https://chadembassy.us/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 578-0431
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 652-1312
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Council of Ministers
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Mahamat Idriss DÉBY (since 6 May 2024)
Government: Executive branch: 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%
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits)
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
TBD
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Prime Minister Allamaye HALINA (since 23 May 2024)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
6 May 2024
Government: Flag
description: three equal vertical bands of blue (left side), gold, and red 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
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Government: 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
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 3 chamber presidents, and 12 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers); Supreme Council of the Judiciary (consists of the Judiciary president, vice president and 13 members)
Government: 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
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
High Court of Justice; Courts of Appeal; tribunals; justices of the peace
Government: Legal system
mixed system of civil and customary law
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
National Assembly (National Assembly)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
mixed system
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
December 2029
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
12/29/2024
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
188 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: parties elected and seats per party
Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) (124); Rally of Chadian Nationalists/Awakening (RNDT/ Le Réveil) (12); Others (27); Other (25)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
33.5%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
Senate (Senate)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
February 2031
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
2/25/2025
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
69 (46 indirectly elected; 23 appointed)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: parties elected and seats per party
Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) (66); Other (3)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
36.2%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
6 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parliament
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1960
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD
Government: National color(s)
blue, yellow, red
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Lakes of Ounianga (n); Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape (m)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
2 (1 natural, 1 mixed)
Government: National holiday
Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Government: National symbol(s)
goat (north), lion (south)
Government: Political parties
Chadian Convention for Peace and Development or CTPD 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
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: 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.
Military and Security: Military - note
internal security is the primary focus of the Chadian National Army, and it is actively engaged in counterinsurgency operations against multiple terrorist and rebel groups; the terrorist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa operate in the Lake Chad Basin area; meanwhile, a number of anti-government militias operate in northern Chad, some 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 République or CCSMR), the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (le Union des Forces pour la Démocratie et le Développement or UFDD), and the Union of Resistance Forces (le Union des Forces de la Résistance UFR); former Chadian President Idriss DEBY was killed in April 2021 during fighting between the FACT and government forces (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT): Ground Forces (l'Armee de Terre, AdT), Chadian Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air Tchadienne, AAT), Chadian National Gendarmerie; General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions (Direction Generale des Services de Securite des Institutions de l'Etat, GDSSIE) Ministry of Public Security and Immigration: National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT) (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 35-40,000 active Chadian National Army personnel (2025)
Military and Security: Military deployments
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
Military and Security: 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 and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
1.52% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
2.31% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
1.66% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
1.65% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
1.57% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
2.21% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
2.08% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
2.04% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
2.12% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
2.98% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: 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)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
45.8% (male 4,428,132/female 4,323,398)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
51.7% (male 4,831,744/female 5,031,383)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
2.5% (2024 est.) (male 204,823/female 274,115)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
0.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
0.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
38.62 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
8.1% (2019)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
24.2% (2019)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
60.6% (2019)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
18.2% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
5.00% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
72.6% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
8.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
4.9 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
20.6 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
92.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
87.2 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 43.8% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 52% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 77.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 56.2% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 48% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 22.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
16.5% national budget (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
3.20% (2023 est.)
People and Society: 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.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
2.51 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
5.2% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
7.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.90% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
56.7 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
68.1 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
56.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Languages: Languages
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 languages and dialects
People and Society: 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.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
57.2 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
53.4 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: female
18.6% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: male
44.5% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
30.63% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
1.592 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2023)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
748 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
17.2 years
People and Society: Median age: male
16.3 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
18.1 years (2014/15 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Chadian
People and Society: Net migration rate
-0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
6.1% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
People and Society: Population
20,299,123 (2024 est.)
People and Society: 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
People and Society: Population growth rate
2.98% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
9,917,875
People and Society: Population: male
9,756,129
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 6.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 18.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 56.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 93.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 81.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 43.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
6 years (2015 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
9 years (2015 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
7 years (2015 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
0.96 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.75 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.04 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
1.3% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
11.8% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
6.5% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
6.03 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
26.93% (2024 est.)
Terrorism: Terrorist group(s)
Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - West Africa (ISIS-WA)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
1,542,532 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
1,286,645 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Trafficking in persons: tier rating
Tier 3 — Chad does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Chad was downgraded to Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/chad/
Transportation: Airports
44 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
TT
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.