People and Society of Chad

Despite the start of oil production in 2003, around 40% of Chad’s population lived below the poverty line as of 2018. The population will continue to grow rapidly because of the country’s very high fertility rate and large youth cohort – more than 65% of the populace is under the age of 25 as of 2022 – although the mortality rate is high and life expectancy is low. Chad has the world’s second highest maternal mortality rate as of 2017. Among the primary risk factors are poverty, anemia, rural habitation, high fertility, poor education, and a lack of access to family planning and obstetric care. Impoverished, uneducated adolescents living in rural areas are most affected. To improve women’s reproductive health and reduce fertility, Chad will need to increase women’s educational attainment, job participation, and knowledge of and access to family planning. Less than a quarter of women are literate, less than 10% use contraceptives, and more than 40% undergo genital cutting. As of December 2022, more than 403,000 refugees from Sudan and more than 120,000 from the Central African Republic strain Chad’s limited resources and create tensions in host communities. Thousands of new refugees fled to Chad in 2013 to escape worsening violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The large refugee populations are hesitant to return to their home countries because of continued instability. Chad was relatively stable in 2012 in comparison to other states in the region, but past fighting between government forces and opposition groups and inter-communal violence have left more than 380,000 of its citizens displaced in the eastern part of the country as of 2022.

Nationality

noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian

Ethnic Groups

Sara (Ngambaye/Sara/Madjingaye/Mbaye) 30.5%, Kanembu/Bornu/Buduma 9.8%, Arab 9.7%, Wadai/Maba/Masalit/Mimi 7%, Gorane 5.8%, Masa/Musseye/Musgum 4.9%, Bulala/Medogo/Kuka 3.7%, Marba/Lele/Mesme 3.5%, Mundang 2.7%, Bidiyo/Migaama/Kenga/Dangleat 2.5%, Dadjo/Kibet/Muro 2.4%, Tupuri/Kera 2%, Gabri/Kabalaye/Nanchere/Somrai 2%, Fulani/Fulbe/Bodore 1.8%, Karo/Zime/Peve 1.3%, Baguirmi/Barma 1.2%, Zaghawa/Bideyat/Kobe 1.1%, Tama/Assongori/Mararit 1.1%, Mesmedje/Massalat/Kadjakse 0.8%, other Chadian ethnicities 3.4%, Chadians of foreign ethnicities 0.9%, foreign nationals 0.3%, unspecified 1.7%

Population

10,543,464

Population (Male / Female)

male: 9,464,699 female: 9,628,896

Population Distribution

the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated

Urban Population

urban population: 24.4% of total population rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

1.592 million N'DJAMENA (capital)

Age Structure

0-14 years: 45.8% (male 4,428,132/female 4,323,398) 15-64 years: 51.7% (male 4,831,744/female 5,031,383) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 204,823/female 274,115)

Median Age

total: 16.7 years male: 16.3 years female: 17.2 years

Sex Ratio at Birth

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female

Medical facilities in Chad are extremely limited. Medicines are in short supply or unavailable, including many over-the-counter preparations sold in the United States. Travelers should carry any needed, properly labeled, medicines with them. In the event of major injury or illness, visitors generally will require medical evacuation. There are two medical clinics in the capital of N’Djamena which offer "international standard" medical care: International SOS and Europ-Assistance. These are not walk-in clinics and advance membership is required to access services. This information is provided for informational purposes only and in no way constitutes an endorsement, expressed or implied, by the United States Department of State Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the type that predominates in Chad, is resistant to the antimalarial drug chloroquine. Because travelers to Chad are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that travelers should take one of the following antimalarial drugs: mefloquine (Lariam - TM), doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone -TM). Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area, and up to one year after returning home, should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what antimalarials they have been taking. For additional information on malaria, including protective measures, visit the CDC Travelers’ Health website. Other widespread illnesses in Chad include diarrhea and upper respiratory infections. HIV/AIDS is becoming an increasingly serious problem as infection rates are at alarming levels (up to 25 percent in high-risk groups). Meningitis outbreaks usually occur annually and several other diseases (cholera, diphtheria, chicken pox, typhoid) periodically appear.

Life Expectancy at Birth

total population: 60 years male: 58.1 years female: 62 years

Infant Mortality Rate

total: 62.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 68.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 56.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and sexually transmitted diseases: hepatitis B (2024) water contact diseases: schistosomiasis animal contact diseases: rabies respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Chad is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 90.2% of population rural: 51.9% of population total: 60.9% of population unimproved: urban: 9.8% of population rural: 48.1% of population total: 39.1% of population

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 57.5% of population rural: 4.9% of population total: 17.3% of population unimproved: urban: 42.5% of population rural: 95.1% of population total: 82.7% of population

Tobacco Use

total: 8.3% male: 13.8% female: 2.7%

Alcohol Consumption

total: 0.55 liters of pure alcohol beer: 0.37 liters of pure alcohol wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol spirits: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol other alcohols: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic

Total School Life Expectancy

total: 7 years male: 9 years female: 6 years

Classroom

For the Chadian children who live in refugee camps as displaced from other countries or as the internally displaced, they can only get up to four years of education. Even with the little schooling they get, there still is a great problem because of a lack of facilities and resources. Materials are not sent in by anyone so the teachers, most of who are volunteers must try and improvise. The classrooms are inadequate. There is always very little financing from the poor Chadian government for education. On average you will find a class having close to 100 students per teacher. Very few children proceed to secondary education and the standards there are even worse than the primary sections. The greatest impediment to the education of children has been the disruption caused by the civil war which leads to a lack of security in conflict areas and becomes difficult for the government to post teachers and even for children themselves to attend school.

Learning

The primary school course begins at the age of six and is run for six years where children learn in what is basically the French Model of Education. There is very little if any emphasis on pre-primary education. The courses of study in primary school usually involve reading, writing, spelling, grammar, mathematics, history, geography, science as well as drawing. Even though six is the official age for starting primary school in some areas you will get children beginning up to the age of 12. It is suspected that only about 40% of school-age children manage to attend school. There are a smaller number of children who attend private schools but this could account for only about 2% of the population and mainly in the urban centers like the capital city, N’djamena. Most villages have only temporary grass shelters that serve as schools and which are usually not strong enough to stand for a long time. Thus there is always a need to rebuild them. The other challenge is that because they are made of grass or straw, they easily become fodder for animals, both domestic and wild and it is never surprising to find that animals got into a classroom at night and made a real mess out of the class. There are other times when children come to school and find animals asleep on the earthen floor of their classes. It is therefore also extremely hard for the children to maintain the cleanliness of their classes. You will find a great majority of children living in refugee camps, both those who are internally displaced as well as the refugee children from the neighboring Darfur in the Sudan. These children, therefore, find themselves reading under extremely difficult conditions. There is usually a lot of tension between villagers and refugees and this extends all the way to the few resources available to children.

To School

The trip to school is taken on foot and the distance to school will depend on where the child comes from and how far it is from their home. They sometimes can walk distances of up to 8 kilometers to reach the nearest school. Many schools are in great disrepair due to the fact that sometimes rebels attack and pull down school buildings. Once in school children begin classes which go on until 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. daily. The children who live in refugee camps usually have a longer break time of about one hour between 9:00 and 10:00 and they can run home briefly. The curriculum in most schools includes mathematics, environmental studies, geography, and Arabic. After the break, they will go back for another one or two hours and go back home until the next school day.

• Muslim51.0%
• Christian35.0%
• animist7.0%
• other7.0%

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

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

• Arabic
• French

Crime Information

U.S. citizens and many foreigners are perceived to be wealthy and should take precautions to avoid becoming crime victims. You should not leave cash or valuables unsecured in your hotel room, nor should you wear expensive jewelry or show large amounts of cash. You should dress modestly, walk outside only during daylight hours, and lock your car doors. Petty crimes such as purse snatching, pick-pocketing, and theft from vehicles do occur, particularly in areas frequented by expatriates. The potential for violent crime against expatriates remains a concern. Carjacking, burglary, and vehicle thefts increase during times of political instability. Historically, expatriate residences have been targeted for armed robbery, and some foreigners have been assaulted in the process, although there have been no recent incidents reported.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Chad, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Chad, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going. Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Chad, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.