Demographics of Chad

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The people of Chad speak more than 100 different languages and divide themselves into many ethnic groups. However, language and ethnicity are not the same. Moreover, neither element can be tied to a particular physical type.^[1]

Although the possession of a common language shows that its speakers have lived together and have a common history, peoples also change languages. This is particularly so in Chad, where the openness of the terrain, marginal rainfall, frequent drought and famine, and low population densities have encouraged physical and linguistic mobility. Slave raids among^[specify] non-Muslim peoples, internal slave trade, and exports of captives northward from the ninth to the twentieth centuries also have resulted in language changes.

Anthropologists view ethnicity as being more than genetics. Like language, ethnicity implies a shared heritage, partly economic, where people of the same ethnic group may share a livelihood, and partly social, taking the form of shared ways of doing things and organizing relations among individuals and groups. Ethnicity also involves a cultural component made up of shared values and a common worldview. Like language, ethnicity is not immutable. Shared ways of doing things change over time and alter a group's perception of its own identity.

Not only do the social aspects of ethnic identity change but the biological composition (or gene pool) also may change over time. Although most ethnic groups emphasize intermarriage, people are often proscribed from seeking partners among close relatives—a prohibition that promotes biological variation. In all groups, the departure of some individuals or groups and the integration of others also changes the biological component.

The Chadian government has avoided official recognition of ethnicity. With the exception of a few surveys conducted shortly after independence, little data were available on this important aspect of Chadian society. Nonetheless, ethnic identity was a significant component of life in Chad.

The peoples of Chad carry significant ancestry from Eastern, Central, Western, and Northern Africa.^[2]

Chad's languages fall into ten major groups, each of which belongs to either the Nilo-Saharan, Afro-Asiatic, or Niger–Congo language family. These represent three of the four major language families in Africa; only the Khoisan languages of southern Africa are not represented. The presence of such different languages suggests that the Lake Chad Basin may have been an important point of dispersal in ancient times.

Population[]

According to the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects^[3][4] the total population was 15,477,729 in 2018, compared to only 2 429 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 45.4%, 51.7% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.9% was 65 years or the country is projected to have a population of 34 millions peoples in 2050 and 61 millions peoples in 2100 .^[5]

	Total population	Population aged 0–14 (%)	Population aged 15–64 (%)	Population aged 65+ (%)
1950	2 429 000	37.8	57.8	4.4
1955	2 671 000	39.1	56.8	4.1
1960	2 954 000	40.3	55.9	3.8
1965	3 289 000	41.5	54.7	3.8
1970	3 656 000	42.0	54.2	3.8
1975	4 114 000	42.8	53.4	3.8
1980	4 554 000	44.0	52.3	3.7
1985	5 151 000	45.2	51.2	3.6
1990	6 011 000	45.8	50.7	3.5
1995	6 998 000	45.9	50.8	3.3
2000	8 222 000	45.9	51.0	3.1
2005	9 786 000	45.8	51.2	3.0
2010	11 227 000	45.4	51.7	2.9

Vital statistics[]

Registration of vital events is in Chad not complete. The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.^[5]

Period	Live births per year	Deaths per year	Natural change per year	CBR*	CDR*	NC*	TFR*	IMR*
1950–1955	118 000	70 000	48 000	46.4	27.5	18.9	6.10	191
1955–1960	130 000	72 000	57 000	46.1	25.8	20.3	6.20	181
1960–1965	142 000	75 000	68 000	45.6	23.9	21.8	6.30	172
1965–1970	159 000	77 000	82 000	45.8	22.2	23.5	6.40	163
1970–1975	184 000	82 000	101 000	47.3	21.2	26.1	6.60	154
1975–1980	209 000	86 000	123 000	48.3	19.9	28.4	6.74	146
1980–1985	233 000	88 000	146 000	48.1	18.1	30.0	6.75	136
1985–1990	266 000	94 000	172 000	47.6	16.8	30.8	6.70	129
1990–1995	308 000	109 000	199 000	47.4	16.7	30.7	6.65	129
1995–2000	362 000	131 000	231 000	47.6	17.3	30.3	6.62	131
2000–2005	429 000	160 000	269 000	47.6	17.8	29.9	6.54	133
2005–2010	482 000	179 000	303 000	45.9	17.1	28.9	6.20	131
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Fertility and births[]

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):^[6]

Year	CBR (Total)	TFR (Total)	CBR (Urban)	TFR (Urban)	CBR (Rural)	TFR (Rural)
1996-97	47,8	6,6 (6,3)	44,4	6,1 (5,7)	48,8	6,8 (6,5)
2004	44,6	6,3 (6,1)	41,8	5,7 (5,5)	45,3	6,5 (6,2)
2014-15	40,5	6,4 (6,1)	36,0	5,4 (5,1)	41,8	6,8 (6,5)

Fertility data as of 2014-2015 (DHS Program):^[7]

Region	Total fertility rate	Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant	Mean number of children ever born to women age 40-49
Batha	7.3	12.2	8.3
Borkou, Tibesti	5.3	9.6	6.4
Chari Baguirmi	6.6	16.1	7.7
Guéra	6.7	14.6	8.4
Hadjer-Lamis	6.8	14.5	8.4
Kanem	6.0	14.8	7.1
Lac	5.4	14.7	7.9
Logone Occidental	6.4	12.7	7.6
Logone Oriental	7.6	12.7	8.3
Mandoul	6.5	12.7	7.7
Mayo Kebbi Est	6.7	15.0	7.3
Mayo Kebbi Ouest	7.5	13.8	7.9
Moyen Chari	5.5	12.6	6.8
Ouaddaï	6.1	13.1	7.1
Salamat	6.5	19.7	8.0
Tandjilé	7.1	13.1	8.0
Wadi Fira	5.9	12.2	6.5
N’Djaména	5.2	9.4	6.5
Barh El Gazal	5.6	14.5	7.1
Ennedi Est, Ennedi Ouest	5.0	13.4	6.3
Sila	6.7	19.6	7.7

Life expectancy[]

Period	Life expectancy in Years[8]
1950–1955	36.06
1955–1960	37.36
1960–1965	38.70
1965–1970	40.14
1970–1975	42.52
1975–1980	43.98
1980–1985	45.38
1985–1990	46.64
1990–1995	47.15
1995–2000	47.65
2000–2005	47.65
2005–2010	48.87
2010–2015	51.67

Religions[]

The separation of religion from social structure in Chad represents a false dichotomy, for they are perceived as two sides of the same coin. Three religious traditions coexist in Chad- classical African religions, Islam, and Christianity. None is monolithic. The first tradition includes a variety of ancestor and/or place-oriented religions whose expression is highly specific. Islam, although characterized by an orthodox set of beliefs and observances, also is expressed in diverse ways. Christianity arrived in Chad much more recently with the arrival of Europeans. Its followers are divided into Roman Catholics and Protestants (including several denominations); as with Chadian Islam, Chadian Christianity retains aspects of pre-Christian religious belief.

The number of followers of each tradition in Chad is unknown. Estimates made in 1962 suggested that 35 percent of Chadians practiced classical African religions, 55 percent were Muslims, and 10 percent were Christians. In the 1970s and 1980s, this distribution undoubtedly changed. Observers report that Islam has spread among the and among other non-Muslim populations of the Saharan and sahelian zones. However, the proportion of Muslims may have fallen because the birthrate among the followers of traditional religions and Christians in southern Chad is thought to be higher than that among Muslims. In addition, the upheavals since the mid-1970s have resulted in the departure of some missionaries; whether or not Chadian Christians have been numerous enough and organized enough to have attracted more converts since that time is unknown.

Other demographic statistics[]

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.^[9]

• One birth every 48 seconds
• One death every 3 minutes
• One net migrant every 360 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 1 minutes

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.^[10]

Population[]

15,833,116 (July 2018 est.)

12,075,985 (2017 est.)

Age structure[]

0-14 years: 48.12% (male 3,856,001 /female 3,763,622)

15-24 years: 19.27% (male 1,532,687 /female 1,518,940)

25-54 years: 26.95% (male 2,044,795 /female 2,222,751)

55-64 years: 3.25% (male 228,930 /female 286,379)

65 years and over: 2.39% (male 164,257 /female 214,754) (2018 est.)

Median age[]

total: 15.8 years. Country comparison to the world: 226th

male: 15.3 years

female: 16.3 years (2018 est.)

Total: 17.8 years

Male: 16.8 years

Female: 18.8 years (2017 est.)

Population growth rate[]

3.23% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 5th

Birth rate[]

43 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 4th

Death rate[]

10.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 26th

Net migration rate[]

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) Country comparison to the world: 176th

Total fertility rate[]

5.9 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 4th

Mother's mean age at first birth[]

17.9 years (2014/15 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Dependency ratios[]

total dependency ratio: 100.2 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 95.2 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio: 20.3 (2015 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate[]

5.7% (2014/15)

Urbanization[]

urban population: 23.1% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: 3.88% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Sex ratio[]

At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth[]

total population: 57.5 years (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 214th

male: 55.7 years (2018 est.)

female: 59.3 years (2018 est.)

Total population: 50.6 years

Male: 49.4 years

Female: 51.9 years (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS[]

Adult prevalence rate: 1.3% (2017 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: 110,000(2017 est.)

Deaths: 3,100 (2017 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight[]

28.8% (2015)

Major infectious diseases[]

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Nationality[]

Noun: Chadian(s)

Adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups[]

The peoples of Chad carry significant ancestry from Eastern, Central, Western, and Northern Africa.^[2]

200 distinct groups

• In the north and center: Arabs, Tubu (Daza, Teda), Zaghawa, Kanembu, Wadai, , Hadjarai, Fulani, Kotoko, Hausa, Bulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim
• In the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Mundang, , , most of whom are Christian or animist

About 5,000 French citizens live in Chad.

Religions[]

• Islam 51.8%
• Roman Catholic 20.3%
• Protestant 23.5%
• Animist 0.6%
• Other Christians 0.3%
• Unknown 0.6%
• None 2.9% ^[11]

Languages[]

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

Literacy[]

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic

total population: 22.3% (2016 est.)

male: 31.3% (2016 est.)

female: 14% (2016 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)[]

total: 8 years (2014)

male: 9 years (2014)

female: 6 years (2014)

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demographics of Chad.

Works cited

• ""U.S. Census Bureau." Census Bureau Home Page". census.gov. 29 January 2010. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2017.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2006 edition".