2020 Edition

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. 

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

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 19 00 E

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

Irrigated land

300 sq km (2012)

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

total

6,406 km

Land use

agricultural land

40% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 35.7% (2023 est.)

forest

3.1% (2023 est.)

other

57% (2023 est.)

Location

Central Africa, south of Libya

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

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, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south

Age structure

0-14 years

45.8% (male 4,428,132/female 4,323,398)

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

38.62 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

8.1% (2019)

women married by age 15

24.2% (2019)

women married by age 18

60.6% (2019)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.2% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

72.6% (2019 est.)

Death rate

8.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

20.6 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

92.1 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

87.2 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 43.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 52% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 77.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 56.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 48% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 22.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

16.5% national budget (2023 est.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.51 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.2% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

7.3% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

56.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

68.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

61.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 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

female

62 years

male

58.1 years

total population

60 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

18.6% (2019 est.)

male

44.5% (2019 est.)

total population

30.6% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.592 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

748 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

17.2 years

male

16.3 years

total

16.9 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

18.1 years (2014/15 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Chadian

noun

Chadian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.1% (2016)

Physician density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

9,917,875

male

9,756,129

total

19,674,004 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.98% (2025 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

rural: 6.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 18.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 56.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 93.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 81.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 43.6% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

6 years (2015 est.)

male

9 years (2015 est.)

total

7 years (2015 est.)

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

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.3% (2025 est.)

male

11.8% (2025 est.)

total

6.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.13 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

24.4% of total population (2023)

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

Capital

etymology

said to derive its name from a local word meaning "place of rest"

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

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

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

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; taken from a local word meaning "large body of water" or "lake"

local long form

République du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad

local short form

Tchad/Tshad

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires William FLENS (since July 2025)

email address and website

NdjamenaACS@state.gov https://td.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Rond-Point Chagoua, B.P. 413, N’Djamena

FAX

[235] 2253-9102

mailing address

2410 N'Djamena Place, Washington DC 20521-2410

telephone

[235] 6885-1065

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires ANWAR SADAT Fatahalbab (since 30 July 2025)

email address and website

info@chadembassy.us https://chadembassy.us/

FAX

[1] (202) 578-0431

telephone

[1] (202) 652-1312

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers

chief of state

President Mahamat Idriss DÉBY (since 6 May 2024)

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%

election/appointment process

president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits)

expected date of next election

TBD

head of government

Prime Minister Allamaye HALINA (since 23 May 2024)

most recent election date

6 May 2024

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 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), LCBC, MIGA, MNJTF, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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)

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

Legal system

mixed system of civil and customary law

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Assembly (National Assembly)

electoral system

mixed system

expected date of next election

December 2029

most recent election date

12/29/2024

number of seats

188 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) (124); Rally of Chadian Nationalists/Awakening (RNDT/ Le Réveil) (12); Others (27); Other (25)

percentage of women in chamber

33.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate (Senate)

expected date of next election

February 2031

most recent election date

2/25/2025

number of seats

69 (46 indirectly elected; 23 appointed)

parties elected and seats per party

Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) (66); Other (3)

percentage of women in chamber

36.2%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1960

lyrics/music

Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD

title

"La Tchadienne" (The Chadian)

National color(s)

blue, yellow, red

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Lakes of Ounianga (n); Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape (m)

total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 natural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

goat (north), lion (south)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sorghum, groundnuts, millet, beef, cereals, yams, sugarcane, maize, cassava, milk (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$2.15 billion (2020 est.)

revenues

$2.129 billion (2020 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$2.286 billion (2023 est.)

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

Exchange rates

Currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

606.345 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$5.658 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$5.7 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$5.799 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, gold, oil seeds, gum resins, cotton (2023)

Exports - partners

UAE 26%, China 19%, Germany 17%, Netherlands 13%, France 10% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

28.1% (2024 est.)

government consumption

8.7% (2024 est.)

household consumption

61.3% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-17.2% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.4% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

3.4% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

32.2% (2024 est.)

industry

29.7% (2024 est.)

services

31.6% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.626 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

37.4 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.5% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.8% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$2.898 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$3.271 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$3.557 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

jewelry, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicine, cars, refined petroleum (2023)

Imports - partners

China 28%, UAE 23%, Turkey 10%, France 9%, India 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

5.1% (2024 est.)

Industries

oil, cotton textiles, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

10.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

8.9% (2024 est.)

Labor force

6.6 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

44.8% (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

52.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$49.012 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$51.03 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$52.895 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

12.9% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$2,600 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$2,600 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

0% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$211.591 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.013 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.05 billion (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

1.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

1.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

1.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

0.7% (2024 est.)

male

2.1% (2024 est.)

total

1.5% (2024 est.)

Coal

imports

20 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

282.103 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

167,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

109.04 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

1.3%

electrification - total population

11.7% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

46.3%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

94.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

1.502 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

1.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

124,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total

0 (2022 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

percent of population

13% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2024 est.) The telephone system is down. No data is available for the year 2024.

total subscriptions

(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.)

total subscriptions

14.8 million (2024 est.)

Airports

44 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TT

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 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 service personnel strengths

estimated 35-40,000 active Chadian National Army personnel (2025)

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 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 expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

3% of GDP (2024 est.)

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)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,542,532 (2024 est.)

refugees

1,286,645 (2024 est.)

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/

Terrorist group(s)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - West Africa (ISIS-WA)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.054 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

2.054 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; soil and water pollution from improper waste disposal in rural areas and poor farming practices; desertification

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

signed, but not ratified

Marine Dumping-London Convention

Methane emissions

agriculture

1,282.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

101.8 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

12 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

60.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

41.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

45.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

672.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

103.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

103.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.359 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

11.1% (2022 est.)