2019 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2019 Archive (Wayback Machine)
Introduction
Background
Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare, as well as invasions by Libya, before peace was restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which has sporadically flared up despite several peace agreements between the government and insurgents. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits and won another controversial election in 2006. Sporadic rebel campaigns continued throughout 2006 and 2007. The capital experienced a significant insurrection in early 2008, but has had no significant rebel threats since then, in part due to Chad's 2010 rapprochement with Sudan, which previously used Chadian rebels as proxies. Nevertheless, a state of emergency continues to be in place in the Sila and Ouaddai regions bordering Sudan. In late 2015, the government imposed a state of emergency in the Lake Chad region following multiple attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram throughout the year; Boko Haram also launched several bombings in N'Djamena in mid-2015. A state of emergency is also emplaced in the western Tibesti region bordering Niger where rival ethnic groups are fighting. DEBY in 2016 was reelected to his fifth term in an election that was peaceful but flawed. In December 2015, Chad completed a two-year rotation on the UN Security Council. In January 2017, DEBY completed a one-year term as Chairperson of the African Union Assembly. (2019)
Geography
Area
- Land
- 1,259,200 sq km
- Total
- 1.284 million 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
Climate
tropical in south, desert in north
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Highest Point
- Emi Koussi 3,445 m
- Lowest Point
- Djourab 160 m
- Mean Elevation
- 543 m
Environment Current Issues
inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas and poor farming practices contribute to soil and water pollution; desertification
Environment International Agreements
- Party To
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- Signed But Not Ratified
- Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geographic Coordinates
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Geography Note
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
300 sq km (2012)
Land Boundaries
- Border Countries
- Cameroon 1116 km, Central African Republic 1556 km, Libya 1050 km, Niger 1196 km, Nigeria 85 km, Sudan 1403 km
- Total
- 6,406 km
Land Use
- Agricultural Land
- 39.6% (2011 est.)
- Agricultural Land Arable Land
- 3.9% (2011 est.)
- Agricultural Land Permanent Crops
- 0% (2011 est.)
- Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture
- 35.7% (2011 est.)
- Forest
- 9.1% (2011 est.)
- Other
- 51.3% (2011 est.)
Location
Central Africa, south of Libya
Map References
Africa
Maritime Claims
none (landlocked)
Natural Hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Natural Resources
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
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
Terrain
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
People and Society
Age Structure
- 0 14 Years
- 48.12% (male 3,856,001 /female 3,763,622)
- 15 24 Years
- 19.27% (male 1,532,687 /female 1,518,940)
- 25 54 Years
- 26.95% (male 2,044,795 /female 2,222,751)
- 55 64 Years
- 3.25% (male 228,930 /female 286,379)
- 65 Years And Over
- 2.39% (male 164,257 /female 214,754) (2018 est.)
Birth Rate
43 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight
29.4% (2015)
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate
5.7% (2014/15)
Current Health Expenditure
4.5% (2016)
Death Rate
10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Demographic Profile
Despite the start of oil production in 2003, 40% of Chad’s population lives below the poverty line. 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 – although the mortality rate is high and life expectancy is low. Chad has the world’s third highest maternal mortality rate. 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. Only about a quarter of women are literate, less than 5% use contraceptives, and more than 40% undergo genital cutting.As of October 2017, more than 320,000 refugees from Sudan and more than 75,000 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 nearly 60,000 of its citizens displaced in the eastern part of the country.
Dependency Ratios
- Elderly Dependency Ratio
- 4.9 (2015 est.)
- Potential Support Ratio
- 20.3 (2015 est.)
- Total Dependency Ratio
- 100.2 (2015 est.)
- Youth Dependency Ratio
- 95.2 (2015 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved Rural
- 44.8% of population
- Improved Total
- 50.8% of population
- Improved Urban
- 71.8% of population
- Unimproved Rural
- 55.2% of population
- Unimproved Total
- 49.2% of population (2015 est.)
- Unimproved Urban
- 28.2% of population
Education Expenditures
2.9% of GDP (2013)
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 Chadian ethnicities 3.4%, Chadians of foreign ethnicities 0.9%, foreign nationals 0.3%, unspecified 1.7% (2014-15 est.)
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate
1.3% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS Deaths
3,100 (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS
120,000 (2018 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Female
- 65.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male
- 77.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 71.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
Languages
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Female
- 59.3 years
- Male
- 55.7 years
- Total Population
- 57.5 years (2018 est.)
Literacy
- Definition
- age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
- Female
- 14% (2016)
- Male
- 31.3%
- Total Population
- 22.3%
Major Infectious Diseases
- Animal Contact Diseases
- rabies (2016)
- Degree Of Risk
- very high (2016)
- Food Or Waterborne Diseases
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2016)
- Respiratory Diseases
- meningococcal meningitis (2016)
- Vectorborne Diseases
- malaria and dengue fever (2016)
- Water Contact Diseases
- schistosomiasis (2016)
Major Urban Areas Population
1.372 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2019)
Maternal Mortality Rate
1,140 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median Age
- Female
- 16.3 years
- Male
- 15.3 years
- Total
- 15.8 years (2018 est.)
Mother's Mean Age at First Birth
17.9 years (2014/15 est.)
Nationality
- Adjective
- Chadian
- Noun
- Chadian(s)
Net Migration Rate
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate
6.1% (2016)
Physicians Density
0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Population
15,833,116 (July 2018 est.)
Population Growth Rate
3.23% (2018 est.)
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.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved Rural
- 6.5% of population (2015 est.)
- Improved Total
- 12.1% of population (2015 est.)
- Improved Urban
- 31.4% of population (2015 est.)
- Unimproved Rural
- 93.5% of population (2015 est.)
- Unimproved Total
- 87.9% of population (2015 est.)
- Unimproved Urban
- 68.6% of population (2015 est.)
School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education
- Female
- 6 years (2014)
- Male
- 9 years
- Total
- 8 years
Sex Ratio
- 0 14 Years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15 24 Years
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 25 54 Years
- 0.92 male(s)/female
- 55 64 Years
- 0.8 male(s)/female
- 65 Years And Over
- 0.76 male(s)/female
- At Birth
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- Total Population
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
Total Fertility Rate
5.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Urbanization
- Rate Of Urbanization
- 3.88% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
- Urban Population
- 23.3% of total population (2019)
Government
Administrative Divisions
23 regions (regions, singular - region); 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, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Ville de N'Djamena, Wadi Fira
Capital
- Geographic Coordinates
- 12 06 N, 15 02 E
- Name
- N'Djamena
- Time Difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Citizenship
- 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
- 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; amended 2005, 2013 (2018)
- History
- several previous; latest approved 30 April 2018 by the National Assembly, entered into force 4 May 2018
Country Name
- Conventional Long Form
- Republic of Chad
- Conventional Short Form
- Chad
- 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
- Local Long Form
- Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad
- Local Short Form
- Tchad/Tshad
Diplomatic Representation From The Us
- Chief Of Mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas R. GENTON (since 16 August 2019)
- Embassy
- Chagoua Round Point, BP 413, N'Djamena
- Fax
- [235] 2253-9102
- Mailing Address
- B. P. 413, N'Djamena
- Telephone
- [235] 2251-5017
Diplomatic Representation In The Us
- Chancery
- 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Chief Of Mission
- Ambassador Ngote Gali KOUTOU (since 22 June 2018)
- Fax
- [1] (202) 758-0431
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 652-1312
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers
- Chief Of State
- President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. (since 4 December 1990)
- Election Results
- 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%
- 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 10 April 2016 (next to be held in April 2021)
- Head Of Government
- President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. (since 4 December 1990); prime minister position eliminated under the 2018 constitution
Flag Description
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
Government Type
presidential republic
Independence
11 August 1960 (from France)
International Law Organization Participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial Branch
- Highest Courts
- 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
mixed legal system of civil and customary law
Legislative Branch
- Description
- unicameral National Assembly (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)
- Election Results
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 117, UNDR 10, RDP 9, RNDT/Le Reveil 8, URD 8, Viva-RNDP 5, FAR 4, CTPD 2, PDSA 2, PUR 2, UDR 2, other 19; composition - men 164, women 24, percent of women 12.8%
- Elections
- last held on 13 February and 6 May 2011 (next to be held NA)
National Anthem
- Lyrics Music
- Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD
- Name
- "La Tchadienne" (The Chadian)
National Holiday
Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
National Symbol S
goat (north), lion (south); national colors: blue, yellow, red
Political Parties And Leaders
Chadian Convention for Peace and Development or CTPD [Laoukein Kourayo MEDAR] Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR] Framework of Popular Action for Solidarity and Unity of the Republic or CAP-SUR [Joseph Djimrangar DADNADJI] 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 Liberty and Development or PLD [Ahmat ALHABO] Party for Unity and Reconciliation Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Idriss DEBY] Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mahamat Allahou TAHER]RNDT/Le Reveil [Albert Pahimi PADACKE] Social Democratic Party for a Change-over of Power or PDSA [Malloum YOBODA] Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Felix Romadoumngar NIALBE]
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture Products
cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, sesame, corn, rice, potatoes, onions, cassava (manioc, tapioca), cattle, sheep, goats, camels
Budget
- Expenditures
- 1.481 billion (2017 est.)
- Revenues
- 1.337 billion (2017 est.)
Budget Surplus Or Deficit
-1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Central Bank Discount Rate
- 31 December 2008
- 4.75%
- 31 December 2009
- 4.25%
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
- 31 December 2016
- 15.5%
- 31 December 2017
- 15.5%
Current Account Balance
- 2016
- -$926 million
- 2017
- -$558 million
Debt External
- 31 December 2016
- $1.281 billion
- 31 December 2017
- $1.724 billion
Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index
- 2011
- 43.3
Economy Overview
Chad’s landlocked location results in high transportation costs for imported goods and dependence on neighboring countries. Oil and agriculture are mainstays of Chad’s economy. Oil provides about 60% of export revenues, while cotton, cattle, livestock, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings. The services sector contributes less than one-third of GDP and has attracted foreign investment mostly through telecommunications and banking.Nearly all of Chad’s fuel is provided by one domestic refinery, and unanticipated shutdowns occasionally result in shortages. The country regulates the price of domestic fuel, providing an incentive for black market sales.Although high oil prices and strong local harvests supported the economy in the past, low oil prices now stress Chad’s fiscal position and have resulted in significant government cutbacks. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most of its public and private sector investment. Investment in Chad is difficult due to its limited infrastructure, lack of trained workers, extensive government bureaucracy, and corruption. Chad obtained a three-year extended credit facility from the IMF in 2014 and was granted debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in April 2015.In 2018, economic policy will be driven by efforts that started in 2016 to reverse the recession and to repair damage to public finances and exports. The government is implementing an emergency action plan to counterbalance the drop in oil revenue and to diversify the economy. Chad’s national development plan (NDP) cost just over $9 billion with a financing gap of $6.7 billion. The NDP emphasized the importance of private sector participation in Chad’s development, as well as the need to improve the business environment, particularly in priority sectors such as mining and agriculture.The Government of Chad reached a deal with Glencore and four other banks on the restructuring of a $1.45 billion oil-backed loan in February 2018, after a long negotiation. The new terms include an extension of the maturity to 2030 from 2022, a two-year grace period on principal repayments, and a lower interest rate of the London Inter-bank Offer Rate (Libor) plus 2% - down from Libor plus 7.5%. The original Glencore loan was to be repaid with crude oil assets, however, Chad's oil sales were hit by the downturn in the price of oil. Chad had secured a $312 million credit from the IMF in June 2017, but release of those funds hinged on restructuring the Glencore debt. Chad had already cut public spending to try to meet the terms of the IMF program, but that prompted strikes and protests in a country where nearly 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. Multinational partners, such as the African Development Bank, the EU, and the World Bank are likely to continue budget support in 2018, but Chad will remain at high debt risk, given its dependence on oil revenue and pressure to spend on subsidies and security.
Exchange Rates
- 2013
- 494.42
- 2014
- 591.45
- 2015
- 593.01
- 2016
- 593.01
- 2017
- 605.3
- Currency
- Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
Exports
- 2016
- $2.187 billion
- 2017
- $2.464 billion
Exports Commodities
oil, livestock, cotton, sesame, gum arabic, shea butter
Exports Partners
US 38.7%, China 16.6%, Netherlands 15.7%, UAE 12.2%, India 6.3% (2017)
Fiscal Year
calendar year
GDP Composition By End Use
- Exports Of Goods And Services
- 35.1% (2017 est.)
- Government Consumption
- 4.4% (2017 est.)
- Household Consumption
- 75.1% (2017 est.)
- Imports Of Goods And Services
- -39.4% (2017 est.)
- Investment In Fixed Capital
- 24.1% (2017 est.)
- Investment In Inventories
- 0.7% (2017 est.)
GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin
- Agriculture
- 52.3% (2017 est.)
- Industry
- 14.7% (2017 est.)
- Services
- 33.1% (2017 est.)
GDP Official Exchange Rate
$9.872 billion (2017 est.)
GDP Per Capita Ppp
- 2015
- $2,700
- 2016
- $2,500
- 2017
- $2,300
GDP Purchasing Power Parity
- 2015
- $31.58 billion
- 2016
- $29.55 billion
- 2017
- $28.62 billion
GDP Real Growth Rate
- 2015
- 1.8%
- 2016
- -6.4%
- 2017
- -3.1%
Gross National Saving
- 2015
- 13.3% of GDP
- 2016
- 7.5% of GDP
- 2017
- 15.5% of GDP
Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share
- Highest 10
- 30.8% (2003)
- Lowest 10
- 2.6%
Imports
- 2016
- $1.997 billion
- 2017
- $2.16 billion
Imports Commodities
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports Partners
China 19.9%, Cameroon 17.2%, France 17%, US 5.4%, India 4.9%, Senegal 4.5% (2017)
Industrial Production Growth Rate
-4% (2017 est.)
Industries
oil, cotton textiles, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Inflation Rate Consumer Prices
- 2016
- -1.1%
- 2017
- -0.9%
Labor Force
5.654 million (2017 est.)
Labor Force By Occupation
- Agriculture
- 80%
- Industry
- 20% (2006 est.)
Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
NA
Population Below Poverty Line
46.7% (2011 est.)
Public Debt
- 2016
- 52.4% of GDP
- 2017
- 52.5% of GDP
Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold
- 31 December 2016
- $20.92 million
- 31 December 2017
- $22.9 million
Stock Of Broad Money
- 31 December 2016
- $1.241 billion
- 31 December 2017
- $1.397 billion
Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad
NA
Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home
- 2006
- $4.5 billion
Stock Of Domestic Credit
- 31 December 2016
- $2.387 billion
- 31 December 2017
- $2.681 billion
Stock Of Narrow Money
- 31 December 2016
- $1.241 billion
- 31 December 2017
- $1.397 billion
Taxes And Other Revenues
13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment Rate
NA
Energy
Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy
342,200 Mt (2017 est.)
Crude Oil Exports
70,440 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude Oil Imports
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude Oil Production
132,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude Oil Proved Reserves
1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification Rural Areas
- 2.2% (2016)
- Electrification Total Population
- 8.8% (2016)
- Electrification Urban Areas
- 31.4% (2016)
- Population Without Electricity
- 14 million (2017)
Electricity Consumption
208.6 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity Exports
0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity From Fossil Fuels
98% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity From Nuclear Fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity From Other Renewable Sources
3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity Imports
0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity Installed Generating Capacity
48,200 kW (2016 est.)
Electricity Production
224.3 million kWh (2016 est.)
Natural Gas Consumption
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural Gas Exports
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural Gas Imports
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural Gas Production
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural Gas Proved Reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption
2,300 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined Petroleum Products Exports
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined Petroleum Products Imports
2,285 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined Petroleum Products Production
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Communications
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants
- less than 1 (2017 est.)
- Total
- 10,470
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
- Percent Of Population
- 5% (July 2016 est.)
- Total
- 592,623
Telephone System
- Domestic
- fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons, with mobile-cellular subscribership base of about 52 per 100 persons (2018)
- General Assessment
- inadequate system of radio telephone communication stations with high maintenance costs and low telephone density; Chad remains one of the least developed on the African continent, telecom infrastructure is particularly low, with penetration rates in all sectors - fixed, mobile and Internet -well below African averages (2018)
- International
- country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants
- less than 1 (July 2016 est.)
- Total Subscriptions
- 14,000
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants
- 52 (July 2016 est.)
- Total Subscriptions
- 6,231,009
Transportation
Airports
59 (2013)
Airports With Paved Runways
- 1 524 To 2 437 M
- 2 (2017)
- 2 438 To 3 047 M
- 4 (2017)
- Over 3 047 M
- 2 (2017)
- Total
- 9 (2017)
- Under 914 M
- 1 (2017)
Airports With Unpaved Runways
- 1 524 To 2 437 M
- 14 (2013)
- 2 438 To 3 047 M
- 2 (2013)
- 914 To 1 523 M
- 22 (2013)
- Over 3 047 M
- 1 (2013)
- Total
- 50 (2013)
- Under 914 M
- 11 (2013)
National Air Transport System
- Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers
- mt-km (2015)
- Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers
- 28,332 (2015)
- Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers
- 1 (2015)
- Number Of Registered Air Carriers
- 1 (2015)
Pipelines
582 km oil (2013)
Roadways
40,000 km (2018)
Waterways
(Chari and Legone Rivers are navigable only in wet season) (2012)
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), National Gendarmerie, National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT); General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions (Direction Generale des Services de Securite des Institutions de l'Etat, GDSSIE) (2019)
Military Expenditures
- 2014
- 2.82% of GDP
- 2015
- 2.03% of GDP
- 2016
- 1.79% of GDP
- 2017
- 2.24% of GDP
- 2018
- 2.13% of GDP
Military Service Age And Obligation
20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service, with a 3-year service obligation; 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a parent or guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age 21; while provisions for military service have not been repealed, they have never been fully implemented (2015)
Transnational Issues
Disputes International
since 2003, ad hoc armed militia groups and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad wishes to be a helpful mediator in resolving the Darfur conflict, and in 2010 established a joint border monitoring force with Sudan, 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
Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 170,278 (majority are in the east) (2019)
- Refugees Country Of Origin
- 330,725 (Sudan), 94,101 (Central African Republic), 12,158 (Nigeria) (2019)
Terrorism
Terrorist Groups Foreign Based
- Boko Haram
- aim(s): establish an Islamic state under strict Sharia across northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region bordering Cameroon, Chad, and Niger area(s) of operation: most active in northeastern Nigeria (states of Yobe and Borno), but also operates in northern Cameroon, southeast Niger, and areas of Chad along the Nigerian border, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin; police also have arrested suspected Boko Haram members in Chad's capital, N'Djamena note: Boko Haram conducts attacks, suicide bombings, targeted killings, kidnappings, and raids for supplies against both civilians and security forces; violently opposes any political or social activity associated with Western society, including voting, attending secular schools, and wearing Western dress (2019)
- Islamic State Of Iraq And Ash Sham Isis West Africa
- aim(s): implement ISIS's strict interpretation of Sharia; replace regional governments with an Islamic state area(s) of operation: based primarily in northeast Nigeria along the border with Niger and Chad, with its largest presence in northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin area (2018)