Chad

Chad is a landlocked country in north-central Africa, officially the Republic of Chad. The United Nations classifies it as a member state in Africa, subregion Sub-Saharan Africa. The UN M49 code is 148, the ISO alpha-2 code is TD, and the ISO alpha-3 code is TCD. The World Bank lists the administrative seat as N’Djamena. This guide gives you the stable identifiers, then shows you how to verify the numbers that change, population, spoken tongues, currency, government, economy, and travel rules, without relying on a frozen snapshot.

Classification Facts

These identifiers are stable and maintained by international standards bodies. They describe statistical and administrative categories, not political or territorial claims.

Field	Value
UN M49 code	148
ISO alpha-2	TD
ISO alpha-3	TCD
UN region	Africa
UN subregion	Sub-Saharan Africa
UN member state	Yes
World Bank capital field	N’Djamena

Source: UN Statistics Division M49 overview ( The M49 code is a statistical classification, not a political or territorial assertion. The World Bank capital field is an administrative data point; it does not settle any sovereignty or boundary question.

How to verify the basics without freezing volatile numbers

Country statistics change frequently. Instead of memorising a population or GDP figure that will be out of date before you finish reading, learn which institutions publish the data and how to pull the current number yourself.

Population

The United Nations Population Division publishes population estimates and projections. For a quick cross-check, the World Bank’s country API returns population data for Chad and every other country. The reference year is shown in the response; always cite it. Census data in Chad is often several years old and may undercount nomadic or rural communities, so treat figures as estimates, not exact counts.

The last census was conducted in 2009; the next national census has been repeatedly delayed. The UN Population Division publishes annual estimates, but they are projections between censuses and may undercount nomadic or remote groups. The World Bank provides population data via its API, with the reference year stated on each indicator page. Always check the reference year and the methodology note before citing a number. The CIA World Factbook is a useful secondary compilation, but it is not a primary source and its figures may lag behind national statistics.

For current figures, consult the UN World Population Prospects (2024 revision) and the World Bank country profile. The UN estimate for 2023 is approximately 18.5 million (medium variant). The World Bank estimate for 2023 is approximately 18.3 million. The two series differ because of different interpolation methods and base data. Do not mix them.

Administrative seat

The World Bank capital field lists N’Djamena. Administrative seats are a matter of national designation, not statistical classification. For administrative or political changes, consult the Chadian government’s channels or the UN M49 overview.

Spoken tongues

Chad is linguistically diverse. French and Arabic are designated in the constitution. Chadian Arabic is the lingua franca. No single national census lists all spoken varieties; SIL Ethnologue catalogues more than 100 living tongues in the country. The 2023 UNESCO report on multilingualism in Chad notes that French and Arabic dominate administration and education, while Sara, Kanembu, and other local tongues remain widely spoken. Language figures change with census methodology and should be treated as estimates, not exact counts. For current linguistic data, consult Ethnologue or UNESCO’s language statistics.

Currency

The currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF), issued by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), which serves the six CEMAC member states. The CFA franc is pegged to the euro. Exchange rates fluctuate; verify current values with a central bank or a reliable financial data source at the time of reading. The peg itself is set by agreement between France and the African monetary union, not by Chad alone. The CFA franc is shared by several Central African countries, so the currency is not unique to Chad.

Government

Chad is a presidential republic. For the current head of state, government structure, and election results, check the official website of the Presidency of the Republic of Chad (presidence.td) and the most recent election reports from international observation missions. A current edition of the CIA World Factbook provides a secondary summary.

Economy

Economic data (GDP, GDP per capita, inflation) should be read with the reference year and the dataset’s definition; the World Bank and IMF publish different measures and update them on different schedules. Verify any figure against the publishing agency and note the reference year before comparing across countries.

Key indicators from the World Bank and IMF:

• Nominal GDP (2022, World Bank): approximately USD 13.1 billion.
• GDP per capita, nominal (2022, World Bank): approximately USD 711.
• GDP per capita, PPP (2022, World Bank): approximately USD 1,681.
• GDP growth (2022, World Bank): 3.3%.
• Inflation (2022, World Bank): 5.2%.
• Gini index (2018, World Bank): 37.5.
• Poverty headcount at $2.15/day, 2017 PPP (2018, World Bank): 35.4%.
• Unemployment (2023, modeled ILO estimate; World Bank): 1.1%.
• Public debt (2022, IMF): 47.9% of GDP.
• World Bank income classification: low-income country (per World Bank fiscal year 2025 classification).

Oil accounts for the majority of export revenue. The economy is vulnerable to oil price volatility, climate shocks, and security spillovers from neighbouring countries.

Travel and safety

No travel safety or visa information is provided here. Check your own government’s travel advisory before planning travel. For visa rules, refer to the IATA Travel Centre or the nearest Chadian embassy.