Chad population pyramid 2026
21,560,380 people in 2026 (projected). Chad’s pyramid has an exceptionally broad base: the under-5 band is about 23% wider than the 5–9 band, and 46% of residents are under 15.
- 2026 population
- 21.6Mrank 64 of 237
- Median age
- 15.7 yearsoldest rank 234
- Fertility rate
- 5.84births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Youthful2.1% age 65+
Chad population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Chad age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 46.0% of the population, while 2.1% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 51.9% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Chad’s age structure as youthful; the guide to expansive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 92.9: about 93 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (88.7 children and 4.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Chad’s population pyramid
A pyramid that grew younger before it began to age
Chad’s total fertility rate did not fall during the late twentieth century; it rose, from about 6.1 children per woman in 1950 to a peak of about 7.3 around 2000, and it is still about 5.8. At the same time infant mortality fell from nearly 200 to about 62 per 1,000 births, so far more children survived. The combined effect pushed the median age down from about 20 in 1950 to under 15 in 2000, and the share of people aged 65 and over has since halved, from about 4% to 2%. Rising fertility in the early stage of the demographic transition is not unusual, but in Chad the high plateau has lasted unusually long.
The 2026 base is the steepest feature of the chart. About 910,000 births are expected this year against about 236,000 deaths, and the 0–4 band is roughly 23% wider than the 5–9 band. The structure most closely resembles Niger, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad sits near the top of the highest child population share ranking.
Short lives and refugee arrivals
The narrow top of the pyramid reflects low survival rather than a small older generation alone. Life expectancy at birth is about 54 years for men and 58 for women, and nearly one child in ten dies before age five. Women outnumber men steadily from the forties upward, falling to about 83 men per 100 women at ages 70–74.
Migration has also shaped recent totals. The UN estimates a net gain of about 1.1 million people between 2000 and 2023, a period when Chad received large numbers of refugees from Darfur in Sudan and from the Central African Republic. The medium scenario projects a net outflow of about 300,000 between 2026 and 2050, small beside natural increase.
Under that scenario the population grows by about 80%, from about 22 million in 2026 to 39 million by 2050, and reaches about 70 million by 2100 with growth not yet over. Even then fertility is projected at about 2.3, still above replacement level.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Chad’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
In the UN medium scenario births outnumber deaths in every year through 2100. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Chad is projected to record 909,765 births (about one birth every 35 seconds) and 235,921 deaths, a natural increase of 673,844. Net migration adds −112,304 people, ranking #218 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 14,943,502 births, 4,528,881 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +1,085,402. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −301,893 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 57.6 years37.2 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 53.7 years33.4 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 12.3 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 61.7per 1,000 births · 198 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 96.1per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 29.3 yearssex ratio at birth 104.1
Women in Chad are projected to live 3.9 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 198 to 61.7 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #7 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 29.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Chad
The median age of 15.7 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 5.84 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 55.6 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,560,380 | #64 | Largest first |
| Median age | 15.7 years | #234 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 5.84 | #1 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +2.6% | #18 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 55.6 years | #236 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 2.1% | #234 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Chad
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–4 | 3,945,844 | 18.3% | 2M / 1.9M |
| 2 | 5–9 | 3,215,919 | 14.9% | 1.6M / 1.6M |
| 3 | 10–14 | 2,759,160 | 12.8% | 1.4M / 1.4M |
| 4 | 15–19 | 2,321,558 | 10.8% | 1.2M / 1.1M |
| 5 | 20–24 | 1,913,273 | 8.9% | 964.6K / 948.7K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Chad has 10,814,842 males and 10,745,538 females. That is 100.6 males per 100 females, ranking #69 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 50.2% of the population and females for 49.8%. There are 69,304 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 83.1 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.1 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Chad has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 2,525,454 in 1950 to 21,560,380 in 2026, a change of 754%. Over the same span, median age moved from 20.3 to 15.7 years.
The under-15 share changed from 38.3% to 46.0%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 4.3% to 2.1%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Chad’s population is projected to grow by about 80%, reaching 38,857,686 in 2050. The median age changes from 15.7 to 19.8 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 1.1 percentage points to 3.2%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 37.7%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 69,546,607. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,525,454 | 20.3 | 6.06 | 35.2 | 118,651 | 74,173 | +237 | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 3,049,838 | 18.9 | 6.25 | 39.2 | 139,995 | 77,991 | −672 | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 3,727,828 | 17.5 | 6.53 | 41.4 | 175,474 | 87,811 | −8,931 | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 4,515,452 | 15.6 | 6.91 | 43.5 | 223,597 | 101,129 | −210,126 | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 5,982,833 | 15.2 | 7.22 | 45.1 | 315,229 | 123,268 | −58,884 | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 8,512,093 | 14.6 | 7.25 | 47.9 | 439,131 | 151,959 | −3,845 | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 12,312,575 | 14.6 | 6.99 | 50.1 | 603,058 | 186,881 | +10,427 | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 17,224,679 | 14.9 | 6.35 | 53.1 | 753,575 | 212,340 | +36,605 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 19,319,064 | 15.4 | 6.12 | 55.1 | 819,054 | 213,123 | +496,830 | +5.7% |
| 2024* | 20,299,123 | 15.7 | 6.03 | 55.2 | 878,222 | 224,906 | +204,040 | +4.2% |
| 2026* | 21,560,380 | 15.7 | 5.84 | 55.6 | 909,765 | 235,921 | −112,304 | +2.6% |
| 2030* | 24,207,479 | 16.0 | 5.44 | 56.2 | 945,060 | 253,921 | −8,545 | +2.8% |
| 2040* | 31,307,342 | 17.5 | 4.55 | 57.7 | 1,044,668 | 305,175 | −24,995 | +2.3% |
| 2050* | 38,857,686 | 19.8 | 3.85 | 59.2 | 1,153,892 | 366,071 | −11,582 | +2.0% |
| 2060* | 46,632,974 | 22.0 | 3.32 | 60.6 | 1,208,711 | 435,584 | +5,198 | +1.7% |
| 2070* | 53,842,126 | 24.5 | 2.92 | 61.9 | 1,214,841 | 514,719 | −19,662 | +1.3% |
| 2080* | 60,327,438 | 27.0 | 2.64 | 63.0 | 1,215,738 | 606,672 | −9,686 | +1.0% |
| 2090* | 65,661,962 | 29.4 | 2.43 | 64.2 | 1,183,426 | 703,336 | +3,998 | +0.7% |
| 2100* | 69,546,607 | 31.7 | 2.27 | 65.3 | 1,135,470 | 805,331 | −11,756 | +0.5% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 2,001,358 | 1,944,486 | 3,945,844 | 18.3% |
| 5–9 | 1,628,248 | 1,587,671 | 3,215,919 | 14.9% |
| 10–14 | 1,397,007 | 1,362,153 | 2,759,160 | 12.8% |
| 15–19 | 1,175,920 | 1,145,638 | 2,321,558 | 10.8% |
| 20–24 | 964,557 | 948,716 | 1,913,273 | 8.9% |
| 25–29 | 828,039 | 823,976 | 1,652,015 | 7.7% |
| 30–34 | 680,765 | 680,382 | 1,361,147 | 6.3% |
| 35–39 | 534,665 | 539,181 | 1,073,846 | 5.0% |
| 40–44 | 417,908 | 426,296 | 844,204 | 3.9% |
| 45–49 | 342,430 | 353,930 | 696,360 | 3.2% |
| 50–54 | 281,099 | 294,801 | 575,900 | 2.7% |
| 55–59 | 206,935 | 222,931 | 429,866 | 2.0% |
| 60–64 | 147,314 | 164,297 | 311,611 | 1.4% |
| 65–69 | 97,773 | 112,722 | 210,495 | 1.0% |
| 70–74 | 59,959 | 72,010 | 131,969 | 0.6% |
| 75–79 | 31,526 | 39,600 | 71,126 | 0.3% |
| 80–84 | 13,488 | 17,960 | 31,448 | 0.1% |
| 85–89 | 4,564 | 6,710 | 11,274 | 0.1% |
| 90–94 | 1,005 | 1,689 | 2,694 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 212 | 317 | 529 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 69 | 72 | 141 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Chad’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Somalia98% overlap · median age 15.6
- Democratic Republic of the Congo98% overlap · median age 15.9
- Niger98% overlap · median age 15.7
- Mozambique98% overlap · median age 16.6
- Mali97% overlap · median age 15.9
- Angola97% overlap · median age 16.7
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Chad.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Chad Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/chad/
MLA
“Chad Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/chad/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Chad Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/chad/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Chad in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Chad's population in 2026 is projected at 21,560,380.
What is the median age in Chad?
The projected median age in Chad in 2026 is 15.7 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Chad?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 5.84 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Chad's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 80%, from 21.6M to 38.9M.
What share of Chad is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 2.1% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 3.2%.
How many babies are born in Chad each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 909,765 births and 235,921 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 35 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 673,844.
What is life expectancy in Chad for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 57.6 years for women and 53.7 years for men, a gap of 3.9 years in favour of women.
Does Chad have more immigrants or emigrants?
Chad is projected to lose about 112,304 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +1,085,402.
What is the sex ratio in Chad?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 100.6 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.