Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income
Chad: the economy in numbers
Per person: $1,022, or $2,903 at purchasing power parity. Population: 21 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #130 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +4.5%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $3.42 billion in 1960, $21.5 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $1,120 per person in 1960, $1,022 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 2.3% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 20 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 2.07 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 41.7% in 1994.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1999: 52.4% of GDP in 2000. IMF forecast for 2031: 24.8%.
Population
1960: 3.05 million · 2025: 21 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 0.7% · 2025: 1.1%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 39.2 years · 2024: 55.2 years.
Exports of goods and services
1960: 13.4% · 2025: 29.4%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 5.3%f | 3.0%f | 24.8%f | |||||||
| 2030 | 5.4%f | 3.0%f | 25.9%f | |||||||
| 2029 | 5.1%f | 3.0%f | 27.3%f | |||||||
| 2028 | 4.6%f | 2.6%f | 28.6%f | |||||||
| 2027 | 5.4%f | 5.3%f | 29.6%f | |||||||
| 2026 | 4.5%f | −0.7%f | 31.1%f | |||||||
| 2025 | $21.5B | $1,022 | $2,903 | 5.6% | −3.9% | 33.3% | 21M | 1.1% | 29.4% | |
| 2024 | $19.9B | $981 | $2,767 | 5.0% | 8.9% | 31.4% | 20.3M | 1.1% | 55.2 | 27.7% |
| 2023 | $18.4B | $950 | $2,703 | 4.0% | 10.8% | 32.2% | 19.3M | 1.1% | 55.1 | 29.1% |
| 2022 | $17.8B | $966 | $2,624 | 4.1% | 5.8% | 32.1% | 18.5M | 1.1% | 54.5 | 31.7% |
| 2021 | $16.9B | $946 | $2,435 | 0.3% | −0.8% | 41.7% | 17.8M | 1.5% | 53.1 | 26.3% |
| 2020 | $14.9B | $867 | $2,186 | −0.4% | 4.5% | 41.6% | 17.2M | 1.7% | 53.1 | 21.3% |
| 2019 | $14.9B | $893 | $2,352 | 5.4% | −1.0% | 38.4% | 16.7M | 1.1% | 53.0 | 25.0% |
| 2018 | $15.3B | $949 | $2,228 | 5.7% | 4.3% | 33.8% | 16.2M | 1.1% | 52.4 | 25.8% |
| 2017 | $13.3B | $854 | $2,097 | −1.6% | −1.5% | 39.1% | 15.6M | 1.1% | 51.9 | 23.2% |
| 2016 | $13B | $862 | $2,120 | −4.1% | −0.8% | 40.2% | 15.1M | 1.1% | 51.6 | 22.6% |
| 2015 | $14.6B | $994 | $2,378 | 3.3% | 4.4% | 31.3% | 14.6M | 1.0% | 51.3 | 27.9% |
| 2014 | $18.1B | $1,279 | $2,133 | 2.1% | 1.7% | 29.4% | 14.2M | 1.0% | 51.1 | 23.1% |
| 2013 | $17.9B | $1,305 | $2,110 | 2.8% | 0.2% | 22.3% | 13.7M | 1.0% | 51.1 | 30.2% |
| 2012 | $17.9B | $1,354 | $2,435 | 9.1% | 7.5% | 20.0% | 13.2M | 0.9% | 50.8 | 33.4% |
| 2011 | $16.7B | $1,308 | $2,388 | 4.5% | 2.0% | 22.3% | 12.8M | 0.9% | 50.4 | 32.7% |
| 2010 | $14.1B | $1,142 | $2,320 | 13.7% | −2.1% | 22.9% | 12.3M | 0.9% | 50.1 | 34.4% |
| 2009 | $12.3B | $1,036 | $2,087 | −1.4% | 10.0% | 23.9% | 11.9M | 0.9% | 49.8 | 32.9% |
| 2008 | $13.4B | $1,166 | $2,181 | 3.1% | 10.3% | 15.7% | 11.5M | 0.9% | 49.5 | 40.1% |
| 2007 | $10.9B | $980 | $2,149 | 4.2% | −9.0% | 17.6% | 11.1M | 0.8% | 49.2 | 43.5% |
| 2006 | $9.71B | $907 | $2,079 | −0.5% | 8.0% | 20.1% | 10.7M | 0.7% | 48.7 | 44.8% |
| 2005 | $8.66B | $838 | $2,102 | 17.3% | 7.9% | 22.0% | 10.3M | 0.7% | 48.9 | 44.6% |
| 2004 | $4.42B | $446 | $1,808 | 33.6% | −5.4% | 25.2% | 9.92M | 0.7% | 48.7 | 51.0% |
| 2003 | $2.74B | $289 | $1,378 | 14.7% | −1.8% | 34.4% | 9.49M | 0.7% | 48.6 | 24.6% |
| 2002 | $2.0B | $219 | $1,226 | 8.5% | 5.2% | 42.0% | 9.12M | 0.8% | 48.4 | 12.7% |
| 2001 | $1.71B | $194 | $1,152 | 11.7% | 12.4% | 43.5% | 8.8M | 0.8% | 48.3 | 14.7% |
| 2000 | $1.39B | $163 | $1,044 | −0.9% | 3.8% | 52.4% | 8.51M | 0.8% | 47.9 | 16.9% |
| 1999 | $1.53B | $187 | $1,066 | −0.7% | −8.0% | 44.7% | 8.22M | 0.8% | 47.9 | 18.3% |
| 1998 | $1.74B | $220 | $1,096 | 7.0% | 4.3% | 7.94M | 0.7% | 47.8 | 18.5% | |
| 1997 | $1.54B | $201 | $1,049 | 5.7% | 5.6% | 7.67M | 0.7% | 47.8 | 18.5% | |
| 1996 | $1.61B | $217 | $1,010 | 2.2% | 11.3% | 7.41M | 0.7% | 47.6 | 17.5% | |
| 1995 | $1.45B | $204 | $1,014 | 1.2% | 9.2% | 7.09M | 0.8% | 47.5 | 21.9% | |
| 1994 | $1.18B | $174 | $1,026 | 10.1% | 41.7% | 6.78M | 0.7% | 47.1 | 16.1% | |
| 1993 | $1.46B | $221 | $933 | −15.7% | −8.4% | 6.63M | 0.7% | 47.0 | 13.3% | |
| 1992 | $1.88B | $291 | $1,107 | 8.0% | −3.1% | 6.47M | 0.7% | 46.8 | 11.1% | |
| 1991 | $1.88B | $302 | $1,046 | 8.5% | 3.2% | 6.21M | 0.7% | 46.6 | 12.0% | |
| 1990 | $1.74B | $291 | $967 | −4.2% | −0.7% | 5.98M | 45.1 | 13.5% | ||
| 1989 | $1.43B | $246 | 4.9% | −3.7% | 5.82M | 46.4 | 13.8% | |||
| 1988 | $1.48B | $264 | 15.5% | 15.5% | 5.63M | 46.4 | 15.0% | |||
| 1987 | $1.16B | $214 | −2.4% | −6.0% | 5.44M | 43.1 | 15.4% | |||
| 1986 | $1.07B | $203 | −4.1% | −13.1% | 5.25M | 45.6 | 13.4% | |||
| 1985 | $1.03B | $203 | 21.8% | 5.2% | 5.1M | 45.3 | 11.9% | |||
| 1984 | $919M | $182 | 2.0% | 20.3% | 5.05M | 44.7 | 18.0% | |||
| 1983 | $832M | $167 | 15.7% | 7.9% | 4.98M | 44.4 | 16.4% | |||
| 1982 | $834M | $176 | 5.3% | 6.4% | 4.74M | 43.9 | 6.6% | |||
| 1981 | $877M | $194 | 1.0% | 8.1% | 4.52M | 43.5 | 15.1% | |||
| 1980 | $1.03B | $229 | −6.0% | 8.6% | 4.52M | 43.5 | 16.9% | |||
| 1979 | $1.0B | $223 | −21.4% | 4.51M | 43.2 | 17.8% | ||||
| 1978 | $1.11B | $253 | −0.5% | 4.41M | 43.0 | 16.4% | ||||
| 1977 | $935M | $216 | 2.2% | 4.33M | 42.9 | 15.4% | ||||
| 1976 | $866M | $204 | 3.0% | 4.25M | 42.7 | 16.1% | ||||
| 1975 | $865M | $207 | 9.0% | 4.17M | 42.7 | 14.4% | ||||
| 1974 | $653M | $160 | 5.0% | 4.08M | 42.6 | 18.4% | ||||
| 1973 | $647M | $162 | −8.4% | 3.99M | 42.4 | 15.7% | ||||
| 1972 | $585M | $150 | 1.1% | 3.89M | 41.9 | 14.6% | ||||
| 1971 | $502M | $132 | −2.2% | 3.81M | 40.9 | 15.9% | ||||
| 1970 | $469M | $126 | 1.9% | 3.73M | 41.4 | 16.3% | ||||
| 1969 | $472M | $129 | 6.9% | 3.65M | 41.0 | 13.2% | ||||
| 1968 | $454M | $127 | −0.5% | 3.58M | 40.7 | 14.9% | ||||
| 1967 | $450M | $128 | 0.8% | 3.51M | 40.4 | 14.4% | ||||
| 1966 | $433M | $126 | −1.8% | 3.44M | 40.1 | 13.9% | ||||
| 1965 | $417M | $124 | 0.6% | 3.37M | 40.0 | 13.5% | ||||
| 1964 | $392M | $119 | −2.5% | 3.31M | 40.1 | 13.7% | ||||
| 1963 | $372M | $115 | −1.6% | 3.24M | 39.9 | 12.9% | ||||
| 1962 | $358M | $113 | 5.4% | 3.18M | 39.6 | 14.0% | ||||
| 1961 | $334M | $107 | 1.4% | 3.11M | 39.4 | 13.9% | ||||
| 1960 | $314M | $103 | 3.05M | 39.2 | 13.4% |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Inflation: IMF data for 1980–1983, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d’Ivoire · DR Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · São Tomé and Príncipe · Tanzania · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)