Economy of Chad

Economy of Chad
A tailor in Chad
CurrencyCentral African CFA franc (XAF)
Calendar year
Trade organisations
AU, AfCFTA, WTO
Statistics
GDP
  • Increase $11.051 billion (nominal, 2018 est.)[1]
  • Increase $30.507 billion (PPP, 2018 est.)[1]
GDP growth
  • −3.0% (2017) 2.6% (2018)
  • 3.0% (2019e) 5.5% (2020f)[2]
GDP per capita
  • Increase $885 (nominal, 2018 est.)[1]
  • Increase $2,442 (PPP, 2018 est.)[1]
GDP by sector
4.037% (2018 est.)[1]
Population below poverty line
66.2% (2019 est.)
  • Increase 0.394 low (2022)[3] (189th)
  • Increase 0.251 low IHDI (2021)[4]
Labour force
7.300 million (2018)
Labour force by occupation
agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing); industry and services: 20% (2006 est.)
Main industries
oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
External
Exports$1.695 billion (2018 est.)
Export goods
oil, cattle, cotton, gum arabic
Main export partners
Imports$2.262 billion (2018 est.)
Import goods
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Main import partners
FDI stock
$567 million (2019 est.)
$3.569 billion (2019 est.)
Public finances
Revenues$2.501 billion (2011 est.)
Expenses$3.482 billion (2011 est.)
Economic aid$238.3 million (recipient) note – $125 million committed by Taiwan (1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank; ODA $150 million (2001)
$147.7 million (2019 est.)
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.


The economy of Chad suffers from the landlocked country's geographic remoteness, drought, lack of infrastructure, and political turmoil. About 85% of the population depends on agriculture, including livestock herding. Of Africa's Francophone countries, Chad benefited least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies in January 1994. Financial aid from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and other sources is directed mainly at improving agriculture, especially livestock production. Because of a lack of financing, the development of oil fields near Doba, originally due to finish in 2000, was delayed until 2003. It was finally developed and is now operated by ExxonMobil. Regarding gross domestic product, Chad ranks 147th globally with $11.051 billion as of 2018.

  1. ^ a b c d e "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Global Economic Prospects, January 2020 : Slow Growth, Policy Challenges" (PDF). openknowledge.worldbank.org. World Bank. p. 147. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Human Development Index (HDI)". hdr.undp.org. HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI)". hdr.undp.org. HDRO (Human Development Report Office) United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Export Partners of Chad". CIA World Factbook. 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Import Partners of Chad". CIA World Factbook. 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2016.