Chad's Economy | Chad Economy

Economy - overview: Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major oilfield and pipeline projects that began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's export earnings; Chad began to export oil in 2004. Chad's economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector investment projects. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves estimated at 1 billion barrels in southern Chad. Oil production came on stream in late 2003.

GDP: 2.1% (2004)

GDP - real growth rate: 38% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: Purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: Agriculture: 22.6% industry: 35.6% services: 41.7% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: Lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

Labor force: NA

Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture more than 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget: Revenues: $1.131 billion expenditures: $957.7 million, including capital expenditures of $146 million (2004 est.)

Industries: Oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1995)

Electricity - production: 96.13 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - consumption: 89.4 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 200,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption: 1,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Oil - proved reserves:

Natural gas - production:

Natural gas - consumption:

Natural gas - exports:

Natural gas - imports:

Natural gas - proved reserves:

Agriculture - products: Cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels

Exports: $365 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities: Cotton, cattle, gum arabic

Exports - partners: US 67.8%, China 21.5%, Portugal 4.3% (2004)

Imports: $500.7 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: Machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners: France 21.9%, Cameroon 16.1%, US 10.8%, Portugal 10.4%, Germany 6.4%, Belgium 4.6% (2004)

Debt - external: $1.1 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $238.3 million received; note - $125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank; ODA $150 million (2001 est.)

Currency:

Currency code:

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

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