Population: 8,424,504 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,022,339; female 1,994,978)
15-64 years: 49% (male 1,964,216; female 2,204,902)
65 years and over: 3% (male 99,459; female 138,610) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.31% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 48.81 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 15.71 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 96.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.49 years
male: 48.5 years
female: 52.56 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.63 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Chadian(s)
adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups: Muslims, commonly referred to as "northerners" or "gorane" (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba); non-Muslims, commonly referred to as "southerners" (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) including nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French)
note: ethnicity and regional background more commonly used to identify Chadians than religious affiliation

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%

Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
total population: 48.1%
male: 62.1%
female: 34.7% (1995 est.)