2021 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 during its peak, the empire controlled territory stretching from southern Chad to southern Libya and included portions of modern-day Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Sudan. The Sudanese warlord Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR used an army comprised largely of slaves to conquer the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the late 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 arrived in the region in the early 1900s and defeated the Sanusiyya in 1910 after years of intermittent war. By 1910, France had incorporated the northern arid region, the Lake Chad Basin, and southeastern Chad into French Equatorial Africa.   Chad achieved its independence in 1960 and saw three decades of instability, oppressive rule, civil war, and a Libyan invasion. With the help of the French military and several African countries, Chadian leaders expelled Libyan forces during the 1987 "Toyota War," so named for the use of Toyota pickup trucks as fighting vehicles. In 1990, Chadian general Idriss DEBY led a rebellion against President Hissene HABRE. Under DEBY, Chad drafted and approved a constitution and held elections in 1996. DEBY led the country until April 2021 when he was killed during a rebel incursion. Shortly after his death, a group of military officials - led by former President DEBY’s son, Mahamat Idriss DEBY - took control of the government. The military officials dismissed the National Assembly, suspended the Constitution, and formed a Transitional Military Council while pledging to hold democratic elections in October 2022. Chad faces widespread poverty, an economy severely weakened by low international oil prices, and rebel and terrorist-led insurgencies in the Lake Chad Basin. Additionally, northern Chad has seen several waves of rebellions since 1998. In late 2015, the government imposed a state of emergency in the Lake Chad Basin following multiple attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram, now known as ISIS-West Africa. In mid-2015, Boko Haram conducted bombings in N'Djamena. In late 2019, the Chadian government also declared a state of emergency in the Sila and Ouaddai regions bordering Sudan and in the Tibesti region bordering Niger where rival ethnic groups are still fighting. The army has suffered heavy losses to Islamic terror groups in the Lake Chad Basin. In March 2020, ISIS-West Africa fighters attacked a Chadian military camp in the Lake Chad Basin and killed nearly 100 soldiers; it was the deadliest attack in the history of the Chadian military.

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: 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% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 35.7% (2018 est.)

forest

9.1% (2018 est.)

other

51.3% (2018 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 kmnote - 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

47.43% (male 4,050,505/female 3,954,413)

15-24 years

19.77% (male 1,676,495/female 1,660,417)

25-54 years

27.14% (male 2,208,181/female 2,371,490)

55-64 years

3.24% (male 239,634/female 306,477)

65 years and over

2.43% (male 176,658/female 233,087) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

41.05 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

29.2% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

8.1% (2019)

Current Health Expenditure

4.1% (2018)

Death rate

9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2021 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

potential support ratio

20.4 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

96

youth dependency ratio

91.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 46.6% of population

improved: total

total: 55.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 86.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 53.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 44.3% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 13.3% of population

Education expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2019)

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

1.1% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,000 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

110,000 (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

60.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

72.83 deaths/1,000 live births

total

67.02 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

60.6 years (2021 est.)

male

56.92 years

total population

58.73 years

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

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

1.476 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

1,140 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

16.5 years (2020 est.)

male

15.6 years

total

16.1 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

18.1 years (2014/15 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Chadian

noun

Chadian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.1% (2016)

Physicians density

0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

17,414,108 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

3.12% (2021 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: 3.1% of population

improved: total

total: 15.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 56.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 96.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 84.7% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 43.5% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

6 years (2015)

male

9 years

total

7 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.78 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 (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.57 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

0.7% (2018)

male

2.4%

total

1.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

23.8% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

23 provinces (provinces, singular - province); Barh-El-Gazel, Batha, Borkou, Chari-Baguirmi, Ennedi-Est, Ennedi-Ouest, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi-Est, Mayo-Kebbi-Ouest, Moyen-Chari, N'Djamena, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Wadi-Fira

Capital

etymology

name taken from the Arab name of a nearby village, Nijamina, 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

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 (2021)

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

note

note: the only country whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GILMOUR (since December 2020)

email address and website

NdjamenaACS@state.govhttps://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] 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)

email address and website

info@chadembassy.ushttps://chadembassy.us/

FAX

[1] (202) 265-1937

telephone

[1] (202) 652-1312

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers

chief of state

Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY; note - on 20 April 2021, newly reelected President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. died of injuries he sustained following clashes between government forces he was commanding and insurgents in the northern part of the country; following his death, Mahamat took control of the country and dismissed the Chadian parliament, promising elections within eighteen months

election results

Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (MPS) 79.3%, Pahimi PADACKET Albert (RNDT) 10.3%, Lydie BEASSEMDA (Party for Democracy and Independence) 3.16%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 11 April 2021

head of government

Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY; note - on 20 April 2021, President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. died of injuries he sustained following clashes between government forces he was commanding and insurgents in the northern part of the country; following his death, Mahamat took control of the country and dismissed the Chadian parliament, promising elections within eighteen months

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

note

note: almost identical to the flag of Romania but with a darker shade of blue; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design based on the flag of France

Government type

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

formerly a unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (188 seats; 163 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 25 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - on 5 October 2021, Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY installed 93 members of an interim parliament, called the National Transitional Council (NTC); according to DEBY, the NTC will act as a national assembly of transition until the country’s next elections take place

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 originally scheduled on 13 December 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic)

note

note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2020, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election; the MPS has held a majority in the NA since 1997

National anthem

lyrics/music

Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD

name

"La Tchadienne" (The Chadian)

note

note: adopted 1960

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 ReconciliationPatriotic 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

Agricultural products

sorghum, groundnuts, millet, yams, cereals, sugar cane, beef, maize, cotton, cassava

Budget

expenditures

1.481 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.337 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$926 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$558 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$1.281 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$1.724 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic 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

currency

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

Exchange rates 2013

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

591.45 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

593.01 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

593.01 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

605.3 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$2.187 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$2.464 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, gold, livestock, sesame seeds, gum arabic, insect resins (2019)

Exports - partners

China 32%, United Arab Emirates 21%, India 19%, United States 10%, France 6%, Germany 5% (2019)

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)

$10.912 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

43.3 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.8% (2003)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

Imports 2016

$1.997 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$2.16 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

delivery trucks, paints, packaged medicines, aircraft, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Imports - partners

China 29%, United Arab Emirates 16%, France 10%, United States 8%, India 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-4% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

-1.5% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

4.2% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

-0.9% (2019 est.)

Labor force

5.654 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

80%

industry

20% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

42.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

52.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

52.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$24.4 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$25.19 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$24.97 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

1.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-6.4% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-3.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$1,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$1,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$1,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$20.92 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$22.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

0.7% (2018)

male

2.4%

total

1.5%

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 - 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.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

1% (2019)

electrification - total population

9% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

32% (2019)

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.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0 (2020 est.)

total

0 (2020)

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

10.4% (2020 est.)

total

2.86 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons, with mobile-cellular subscribership base of about 48 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

Chad’s inadequate telecom infrastructure, corruption, and high taxes hinder penetration in fixed, mobile, and Internet sectors; with tax reform, operators are investing in voice and data infrastructure to 3G/4G; government approved telecom infrastructure upgrade; World Bank-funded Central African Backbone (CAB) project; Trans-Saharan Backbone project will link a fiber cable to Nigeria and Algeria (2020)

international

country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

5,340 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

52.89 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

8,687,151 (2020)

Airports

total

59 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

2,438 to 3,047 m

4

over 3,047 m

2

total

9

under 914 m

1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

14

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

22

over 3,047 m

1

total

50

under 914 m

11 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TT

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Pipelines

582 km oil (2013)

Roadways

note

note: consists of 25,000 km of national and regional roads and 15,000 km of local roads; 206 km of urban roads are paved

total

40,000 km (2018)

Waterways

(Chari and Legone Rivers are navigable only in wet season) (2012)

Military - note

as of 2021, the ANT was chiefly focused on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations; it was engaged with the Boko Haram (BH) and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Basin area (primarily the Lac Province) and in the Sahel; in 2020, it conducted a large military operation against BH in the Lake Chad region; that same year, Chad sent troops to the tri-border area with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to combat ISWA militants (it also contributes a large force to the UN MINUSCA mission in Mali); in addition, the ANT was conducting operations against internal anti-government militias and armed dissident groups; several Chadian rebel groups, including the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) and the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), operate in northern Chad from bases in Libya; former Chadian President Idriss DEBY was killed in April 2021 during fighting in the northern part of the country between FACT and the Chadian Army

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), General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions (Direction Generale des Services de Securite des Institutions de l'Etat, GDSSIE); National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Public Security and Immigration: National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT), national police (2021)

note

note(s) - the GDSSIE, formerly known as the Republican Guard, is the presidential guard force and is considered to be Chad's elite military unit; it is reportedly a division-size unit with infantry, armor, and special forces/anti-terrorism regiments (known as the Special Anti-Terrorist Group or SATG, aka Division of Special Anti-Terrorist Groups or DGSAT)

Military and security service personnel strengths

limited and varied information; approximately 30,000 active personnel (20-25,000 Ground Forces; 300 Air Force; 5-10,000 General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions); 5,000 National Gendarmerie; 3,500 National Nomadic Guard of Chad (2021)

Military deployments

note(s) - Chad is part of a five-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G5 Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger; Chad has committed 550 troops and 100 gendarmes to the force; in early 2020, G5 Sahel military chiefs of staff agreed to allow defense forces from each of the states to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the G5 force is backed by the UN, US, and France; G5 troops periodically conduct joint operations with French forces deployed to the Sahel under Operation Barkhane; Chad hosts the headquarters of Operation Barkhane in N’DjamenaChad has committed approximately 1,000-1,500 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically; in 2019, Chad sent more than 1,000 troops to Nigeria’s Borno State to fight BH as part of the MNJTF mission

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the ANT is mostly armed with older or second-hand equipment from Belgium, France, Russia, and the former Soviet Union; since 2010, it has received equipment, including donations, from a variety of countries, including China, Italy, Ukraine, and the US (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.8% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

2.2% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.3% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.2% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

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 (2021)

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

406,573 (majority are in the east) (2021)

refugees (country of origin)

374,804 (Sudan), 121,525 (Central African Republic), 19,321 (Nigeria), 8,842 (Cameroon) (2021)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Chad and Chadians abroad; most trafficking is internal; some children are sent by their parents to relatives or intermediaries to receive education, an apprenticeship, goods, or money and are then forced to work in domestic service or cattle herding; children are also forced to work in agriculture, gold mines, charcoal vending, and fishing, and those attending Koranic schools are forced into begging and street vending; girls from rural areas who search for work in larger towns are exploited in sex trafficking and domestic servitude; terrorist groups abduct children to serve as soldiers, suicide bombers, brides, and forced laborers

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Chad does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; one trafficker was convicted, the first under a 2018 law, but the government did not report investigating or prosecuting alleged traffickers, including complicit government officials; the government adopted a formal Road Map to implement its 2108 National Action Plan but did not report executing it; authorities did not identify any victims and have not drafted victim identification and referral procedures; the government continued to make no effort to raise awareness on trafficking (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

1.02 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

30.69 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

53.01 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical in south, desert in north

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Dumping-London Convention

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to civil insecurity - about 1.78 million people were projected to be in “Crisis” and above in the June‑August 2021 period due to persistent insecurity in the Lac and Tibesti regions, which continues to disrupt livelihood activities and to cause population displacements; about 336,124 people were displaced due to insecurity in Lake Chad Region; COVID‑19 pandemic containment measures continue to slow down the national economy, reducing employment opportunities; this downturn has contributed to a weakening of the purchasing power of poor vulnerable households, limiting their access to food (2021)

Land use

agricultural land

39.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 35.7% (2018 est.)

forest

9.1% (2018 est.)

other

51.3% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - 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)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

3.81% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

45.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

672.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

103.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

103.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

23.8% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,358,851 tons (2010 est.)