Population density in Chad
Chad: Population density was 15.34 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
15.34 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
198th
of 215 countries
All-time high
15.34 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
2.47 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Chad, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Chad recorded 15.34 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 41.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Chad peaked at 15.34 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.47 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Chad 198th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density in Chad, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.47 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 2.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 2.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 2.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 2.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 2.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 2.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 2.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 2.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 3.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 3.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 3.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 3.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 3.31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 3.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 3.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 3.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 3.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 3.59 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 3.59 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 3.76 people per sq. km of land area | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 3.95 people per sq. km of land area | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 4.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 4.05 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 4.17 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 4.32 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 4.47 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 4.62 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 4.75 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 4.93 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 5.14 people per sq. km of land area | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 5.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 5.39 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 5.63 people per sq. km of land area | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 5.88 people per sq. km of land area | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 6.09 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 6.3 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 6.53 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 6.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 6.99 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 7.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 7.53 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 7.88 people per sq. km of land area | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 8.2 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 8.5 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 8.8 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 9.11 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 9.45 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 9.78 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 10.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 10.49 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 10.87 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 11.27 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 11.63 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 12 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 12.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 12.83 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 13.25 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 13.68 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 14.16 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 14.66 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 15.34 people per sq. km of land area | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.68 people per sq. km of land area | 2.47 people per sq. km of land area | 2.9 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.27 people per sq. km of land area | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | 3.58 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.05 people per sq. km of land area | 3.59 people per sq. km of land area | 4.62 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.59 people per sq. km of land area | 4.75 people per sq. km of land area | 6.53 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.05 people per sq. km of land area | 6.76 people per sq. km of land area | 9.45 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.47 people per sq. km of land area | 9.78 people per sq. km of land area | 13.25 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.46 people per sq. km of land area | 13.68 people per sq. km of land area | 15.34 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Chad
- 195 New Caledonia 15.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 196 Saudi Arabia 15.68 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 197 Turkmenistan 15.67 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 199 Norway 15.15 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 200 Bolivia 11.3 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 201 Gabon 9.64 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Chad
- Population in the largest city 29.8% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 42.96 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.082 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.72 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 1.26 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.72 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 26.34 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Chad?
- Population density in Chad was 15.34 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Chad?
- The highest recorded value was 15.34 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Chad?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.47 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Chad rank for population density?
- Chad ranks 198th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Chad?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Chad data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.