Country explorer: Chad

Chad’s economy has seen fluctuations in GDP per capita, marked by stark poverty levels across various thresholds, consistently high unemployment rates compared to some neighbors, and erratic inflation rates, indicative of the nation’s challenging but slowly evolving economic landscape amidst regional and low-income country trends.

Chad has seen a gradual decline in fertility rates and an improvement in life expectancy, amidst fluctuating patterns of migration, mirroring broader demographic shifts common across low-income countries, yet with distinctive episodes of significant migration influxes and outflows reflecting its unique geopolitical challenges.

Chad has experienced gradual improvements in access to basic needs such as clean cooking fuels, electricity, and safely managed drinking water and sanitation, yet remains significantly below regional and low-income country averages, highlighting ongoing challenges in ensuring universal access to basic services.

Chad has experienced a gradual improvement in human development indicators, such as a rising Human Development Index, decreasing child mortality rates, and moderate growth in literacy and education quality, yet it continues to face significant challenges, lagging behind its peers like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria in these critical measures of societal advancement.

Chad has experienced a decline in per capita renewable freshwater resources and forest area, alongside fluctuations in per capita CO₂ emissions and minimal growth in renewable energy sources, mirroring challenges faced by many low-income countries in balancing environmental sustainability with development needs.

Chad has experienced slow but steady progress in technological uptake and innovation, characterized by modest increases in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, and scientific outputs, which, despite being low compared to global averages, reflect significant strides for the nation in bridging the digital divide and fostering a foundation for future growth in these sectors.

Chad has experienced fluctuations in its age dependency ratio, a gradual improvement in self-reported life satisfaction despite persistent challenges, a significant struggle with gender inequality despite some progress, and noticeable changes in its population's birthplace composition, depicting a mix of stability and subtle transformation within its cultural and societal dimensions that is somewhat reflective of broader trends in low-income countries but with distinct national characteristics.

Chad has consistently struggled with governance issues, marked by a persistent low rule of law index, high perceptions of corruption, restricted political and civil liberties, and limited press freedom, reflecting broader challenges faced by many low-income countries in establishing effective rule-based governance and safeguarding freedoms.