Chad
| Capital: | N'Djamena |
| Area size (Land only): | 1259200 sq. km Slightly larger than Scandinavia |
| Time zone: | GMT +1 |
| Currency: | CFA Franc |
| Area code: | (+) 235 |
| Driving: | Right |
| Climate description: | Practically rainless and hot throughout the year in the north because of the Sahara Desert, rainy season May-September in the south. |
People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
The country's official languages are French and Arabic. More than 100 local languages are also spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
Future population estimates
27.8 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)
Ethnic groups
Northern Chadians are mainly of Berber and Tuareg origins; the Sara, Massa, Mundani and Hakka are predominant in the south.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Muslims (mainly in the north) number about 50 percent, Catholics 23 percent, traditional African religions 27 percent
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
Year women granted right to vote
1958
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2004)
Percentage of population under 15
The country's official languages are French and Arabic. More than 100 local languages are also spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
| 2009 | 11.2 million | U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009) |
| 2007 | 10.4 million | U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006) |
| 2006 | 10.3 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2005 | 10.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2004 | 9.8 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2003 | 9.5 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2002 | 9.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2001 | 8.8 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2000 | 8.5 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
Future population estimates
27.8 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)
Ethnic groups
Northern Chadians are mainly of Berber and Tuareg origins; the Sara, Massa, Mundani and Hakka are predominant in the south.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Muslims (mainly in the north) number about 50 percent, Catholics 23 percent, traditional African religions 27 percent
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
| 2007 | 26.1 percent | U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005 |
| 2006 | 25.7 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2005 | 25.3 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2004 | 24.8 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2003 | 24.5 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2002 | 24.1 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2001 | 23.7 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2000 | 23.4 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
Year women granted right to vote
1958
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2004)
Percentage of population under 15
| 2005 | 46.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 47.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 47.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 46.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 46.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 46.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Average life expectancy
Life expectancy - male
Life expectancy - female
Infant mortality
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
Births attended by skilled personnel
Maternal mortality
Human development index (HDI rank)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
Percentage of undernourished population
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
Population with access to improved sanitation
Literacy - average
Literacy - male
Literacy - female
Landlines telephones
Cellular telephone subscribers
Internet users
Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
| 2005 | 50.4 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 43.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 43.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 44.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 44.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 45.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Life expectancy - male
| 2005 | 49.0 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 42.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 42.5 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 43.6 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 43.5 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 44.5 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Life expectancy - female
| 2005 | 51.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 44.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 44.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 45.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 45.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 46.9 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Infant mortality
| 2007 | 124 per 1,000 live births | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009 |
| 2006 | 124 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 2005 | 124 per 1,000 live births | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 117 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 117 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 117 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 117 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 118 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
| 2007 | 209 per 1,000 live births | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009 |
| 2006 | 209 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 2005 | 208 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 200 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 200 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 200 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Births attended by skilled personnel
| 1997-2005 | 14 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 1996-2004 | 16 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 16 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | 16 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1995-2001 | 16 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 1995-2000 | 16 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Maternal mortality
| 2005 | 1500 per 100,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2000 | 1100 per 100,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
Human development index (HDI rank)
| 2005 | 170 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 171 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 173 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 167 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 165 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 166 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
| 2000-2007 | 37 percent | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009 |
| 2000-2006 | 37 percent | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 1996-2005 | 37 percent | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 1996-2004 | 28 percent | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 28 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | 28 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1995-2000 | 28 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Percentage of undernourished population
| 2003-2005 | 39 percent | U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008 |
| 2002-2004average | 35 percent | U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006 |
| 2001-2003average | 33 percent | FAO 2006 |
Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.
Population with access to improved water
| 2006 | 48 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2008 |
| 2004 | 42 percent | UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006 |
| 2002 | 34 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 27 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Population with access to improved sanitation
| 2006 | 9 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2008 |
| 2004 | 9 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | 8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 29 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Literacy - average
| 2004 | 25.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 25.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 45.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 44.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 42.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Literacy - male
| 2004 | 40.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 40.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 54.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 53.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 51.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Literacy - female
| 2004 | 12.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 12.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 37.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 35.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | 34.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2002 |
Landlines telephones
| 2008 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2007 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2006 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2005 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2004 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2003 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2002 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2001 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2000 | 1 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
Cellular telephone subscribers
| 2008 | 166 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2007 | 87 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2006 | 45 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2005 | 21 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2004 | 13 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2003 | 7 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2002 | 4 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2001 | 3 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2000 | 0.7 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
Internet users
| 2008 | 12 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2007 | 8 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2006 | 6 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2005 | 4 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2004 | 4 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2003 | 3 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2002 | 2 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2001 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
| 2000 | 0.4 per 1,000 people | ITU 2009 |
Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)
| 2008 | 173 (joint) | Transparency International 2008 |
| 2007 | 172 (joint) | Transparency International 2007 |
| 2006 | 156 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2005 | 158 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2004 | 142 (joint) | Transparency International |
| 2003 | Not ranked | |
| 2002 | Not ranked | |
| 2001 | Not ranked | |
| 2000 | Not ranked |
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb
Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
Annual GDP growth
Annual inflation
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
No data available percent
GNI per capita, Atlas method
| 2007 | 540 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2006 | 440 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2005 | 410 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2004 | 330 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2003 | 210 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2002 | 190 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2001 | 180 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2000 | 180 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
| 2007 | 7.1 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2006 | 6.3 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2005 | 5.9 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2004 | 4.4 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2003 | 2.7 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2002 | 2.0 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2001 | 1.7 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2000 | 1.4 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
Annual GDP growth
| 2006 | 0.5 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
| 2005 | 7.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
| 2004 | 33.6 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
| 2003 | 14.7 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
| 2002 | 8.5 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
| 2001 | 11.7 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
| 2000 | -0.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008 |
Annual inflation
| 2007 | 2.4 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2006 | 6.2 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2005 | 23.1 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2004 | 9.7 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2003 | 0.1 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2002 | 1.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2001 | 13.8 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
| 2000 | 5.3 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009 |
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
Physicians
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2000-2004 | 4 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 1990-2004 | 4 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1990-2003 | 3 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1990-2002 | 3 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
| 2007 | 3.5 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008 |
| 2006 | 3.5 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008 |
| 2005 | 3.5 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008 |
| 2004 | 3.6 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008 |
| 2003 | 3.5 percent | U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008 |
Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2007 | 299 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2006 | 307 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2005 | 315 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2004 | 318 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2003 | 315 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2002 | 302 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2001 | 283 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
| 2000 | 262 per 100,000 people | WHO 2009 |
Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Number of refugees originating here
Number of refugees residing here
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
Landmine casualties per year
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1998)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report 2004
Percentage of GDP spent on military
Percentage of GDP spent on education
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2008 | 55105 | UNHCR |
| 2007 | 55722 | UNHCR |
| 2006 | 36300 | Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| 2005 | 48400 | UNHCR |
| 2004 | 52663 | UNHCR |
| 2003 | 52275 | UNHCR |
| 2002 | 47349 | UNHCR |
| 2001 | 46294 | UNHCR |
| 2000 | 54962 | UNHCR |
Number of refugees residing here
| 2008 | 302687 | UNHCR |
| 2007 | 294017 | UNHCR |
| 2006 | 286743 | UNHCR |
| 2005 | 275412 | UNHCR |
| 2004 | 230652 | UNHCR |
| 2003 | 146400 | UNHCR |
| 2002 | 33455 | UNHCR |
| 2001 | 12950 | UNHCR |
| 2000 | 17692 | UNHCR |
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
| 2009 | 166718 | Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2009 | |
| 2008 | 185901 | IDMC 2008 | |
| 2007 | 179000 | IDMC 2008 | |
| 2006 | 90000 | IDMC 2006 | |
Landmine casualties per year
| 2007 | 186 | Landmine Monitor Report 2008 |
| 2006 | 139 | Landmine Monitor Report 2008 |
| 2004 | 32 | Landmine Monitor Report 2005 |
| 2003 | 18 | Landmine Monitor Report 2005 |
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1998)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report 2004
Percentage of GDP spent on military
| 2005 | 1.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 1.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
Percentage of GDP spent on education
| 2002-2005 | 2.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2002-2004 | No data available percent | |
| 1999-2001 | 2.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1998-2000 | 2.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2004 | 1.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2003-2004 | 2.6 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2002 | 2.7 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2001 | 2.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | 2.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
AlertNet makes every effort to ensure statistics are updated from the relevant sources as soon as they are available.
Unlike some other content on this website, the written content in this article may be republished or redistributed by any means free of charge. Any use of photographs and graphics on this website is expressly prohibited. You must check whether written content contained in other articles on this website may be republished or redistributed without the express permission of Reuters or the relevant third party provider.
Related articles
Breaking stories
Africa
Peacekeepers should prepare to leave Darfur-Sudan
Africa
Troubled Chad moving to calmer phase-U.N. official
AlertNet insight
Africa
ICRC suspends operations in Chad after kidnap of French worker
Aid agency news feed
Africa
Sudan: ICRC staff member abducted in West Darfur
Blogs
Africa
Few heads of state to witness Africa's historic moment on IDP rights
Maps
Africa
MAP: Small-scale Emergencies in Africa (As of March 2009)
More briefings



