Chad
Chad is a landlocked country located in north-central Africa, characterized by diverse geographical landscapes that range from the Sahara Desert in the north to the Sudanian Savanna in the south. Bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic...
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With a safety index of 30/100, Chad offers below average safety conditions for expats and their families.
Chad requires most international visitors to obtain a tourist visa in advance through a Chadian embassy or diplomatic mission before arrival.[1] Citizens of 14 West African countries—Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and the United Arab Emirates—can enter visa-free for up to 90 days.[1] However, this exemption list was significantly reduced on December 11, 2024, when several previously exempt countries (Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania,...
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54% below EU avg
Baselines based on EU averages. Source: Numbeo indices.
Capital
N'Djamena
Timezone
UTC+01:00
Area
1,284,000 km²
Population
16,425,859
GDP
$12.70B
HDI
0.4
Quality of Life
N/A
NYC baseline: 43
Purchasing Power
N/A
NYC baseline: 42
Understanding the economic landscape is essential for evaluating living costs and opportunities in Chad. This comprehensive overview covers key financial indicators including cost of living, housing markets, income levels, and fiscal policies that shape daily life and long-term financial planning.
Cost of Living Index
Very affordable living costs. Groceries index at 39.3 and rent index at 9.9 are among the lowest globally, making Chad extremely budget-friendly for residents.
Housing Market
Highly affordable housing. Property prices average 2.7 years of income, indicating exceptional affordability with minimal barriers to property ownership.
Average Income Levels
Very low income levels. GDP per capita at $917-$961 places Chad among the world's poorest nations, with 80% of population living below the poverty line.
Tax System
Limited tax infrastructure with weak revenue collection. Government relies heavily on oil revenues (60% of exports) rather than broad-based taxation, creating fiscal vulnerability.
Business Environment
Challenging business environment. Decades of military conflict, poor infrastructure, minimal manufacturing (3% of GDP), and high energy/transport costs severely limit entrepreneurial opportunities.
Social Security
Minimal social safety net. Human assets index of 21.5 reflects low education (18.1% secondary completion) and high child mortality (102.9 per 1,000), with limited welfare programs.
Chad, a vast landlocked nation in Central Africa spanning over 1.28 million km², features a pronounced north-south climate gradient with four distinct zones: arid Sahara in the north, semi-arid Sahel centrally, Sudanian savanna in the south, and wetter Guinea zone in the southwest. Classified under Köppen-Geiger as hot desert (BWh), hot semi-arid (BSh), and tropical savanna (Aw), the country experiences extreme heat year-round, a short rainy season from May-October shifting with the ITCZ, and prolonged dry harmattan winds from November-April.
4 distinct climate regions — see full guide for details
Read full guideLife Expectancy
52.9
Population
16,425,859
Religions
Ethnic Composition
Currently under research
Research in Progress
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Chad is governed by Interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby following a military transition that began in April 2021. In October 2025, parliament passed controversial constitutional amendments extending presidential terms to seven years and abolishing term limits, consolidating Deby's power and enabling potential lifetime rule. The country maintains a bicameral legislature dominated by the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement, with civic space significantly constrained and opposition largely silenced.
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Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.
All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.