Chad’s fertility rate fell to 6 births per woman in 2024.

Neither way is good in itself. A high rate means a young, growing population that needs more schools and clinics, while a low rate eases that pressure and sends fewer young workers into the economy later. The latest figure, for 2024, is 6 births per woman, down from 6.1 births per woman a year earlier, a fall of 0.09 births per woman, or 1.5%. Since 2015 the rate has ranged from a high of 6.7 births per woman in 2015 to a low of 6 births per woman in 2024, so the latest reading sits at the bottom of that range.

Why it matters. At six births per woman, Chadian households are typically large, and parents share their income and time across many children. The state faces a school-age population that keeps growing, which raises the number of classrooms, teachers and health workers needed each year. The slow fall since 2015 eases that pressure only slightly.