Chad
- Capital:
- N'Djamena
- Continent:
- Africa
- Region(s):
- Middle Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
- Largest Cities:
- N'Djamena, Mayo-Kebbi-Est, Logone-Oriental
- Abbreviation:
- TCD
21,560,380
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
21,560,380
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
Chad's population is projected to be 68,557,149 by 2097.
Historical
Switch the toggle to see projected data.
| Year ↓ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21,560,380 | 3.88% | 64 |
| 2025 | 21,003,705 | 4.05% | 64 |
| 2020 | 17,224,679 | 3.23% | 70 |
| 2019 | 16,685,223 | 3.27% | 70 |
| 2018 | 16,156,531 | 3.42% | 71 |
| 2017 | 15,622,759 | 3.36% | 71 |
| 2015 | 14,647,621 | 3.53% | 71 |
| 2010 | 12,312,575 | 3.58% | 73 |
| 2005 | 10,328,092 | 3.94% | 78 |
| 2000 | 8,512,093 | 3.73% | 85 |
| Year ↑ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21,560,380 | 3.88% | 64 |
| 2032 | 25,596,232 | 2.91% | 62 |
| 2037 | 29,132,971 | 2.62% | 61 |
| 2042 | 32,777,673 | 2.39% | 58 |
| 2047 | 36,546,920 | 2.2% | 53 |
| 2052 | 40,417,241 | 2.03% | 52 |
| 2057 | 44,307,098 | 1.85% | 48 |
| 2062 | 48,138,588 | 1.67% | 44 |
| 2067 | 51,782,710 | 1.47% | 44 |
| 2072 | 55,209,884 | 1.29% | 44 |
1M
228.7K
457.3K
1.7M
N'Djamena has a metropolitan area population of 1,697,201, comprising 7.87%% of Chad's total population.
| Rank | City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | % of National Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N'Djamena | 1,697,201 | 7.87% |
| 2 | Mayo-Kebbi-Est | 1,410,147 | 6.54% |
| 3 | Logone-Oriental | 1,390,235 | 6.45% |
| 4 | Ouaddai | 1,237,856 | 5.74% |
| 5 | Logone-Occidental | 1,229,161 | 5.7% |
| 6 | Tandjile | 1,180,751 | 5.48% |
| 7 | Mandoul | 1,120,383 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Moyen-Chari | 1,048,927 | 4.87% |
| 9 | Chari-Baguirmi | 1,031,832 | 4.79% |
| 10 | Hadjer Lamis | 1,011,198 | 4.69% |
As of 2026, Chad has a total population of 21,560,380, ranking as the 64th most populous nation in the world.
Chad has a net population change of approximately 1,538 people per day, driven by 2,491 births, 646 deaths, and net emigration of 307 people.
Chad represents 0.27% of the total global population and 1.36% of Africa's population.
Chad has a population density of 17.1 people per km² (approximately 44.3 per mi²), making it the 205th most densely populated country in the world.
Currently, 91.34% of the population resides in urban areas.
*Rates last updated: June 16, 2026
As of 2026, the largest ethnicity in Chad is Sara (Ngambaye/Sara/Madjingaye/Mbaye) (30.5%) , followed by Kanembu/Bornu/Buduma (9.8%) .
As of 2026, Muslim is the largest religion in Chad, comprising 52.1% of the population.