COUNTRIES · SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
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Chad

Heat is 88% of the energy Chad uses.

Chad is a low-income country in Sub-Saharan Africa with 21.0 million people, most of them living in rural areas. Heat makes up 88% of the energy it uses, well above the world average of about 47%.

Most of the heat comes from wood and other biomass (91%). Only 11% of people have access to clean cooking, so much of the wood and charcoal is burned for cooking. Just 9% of the heat comes from coal, oil and gas. Electricity makes up 1% of energy use and is generated mainly from fossil fuels (98%).

The country

Population21.0 million2025
GDP per capitaUS$ 1,0202025
Area1,284,000 km²2024
Urban population28%2025
Access to electricity13%2024
Access to clean cooking11%2024
Final energy use34 TWh2023

Where the energy goes

Final energy use in Chad, 2023: 34 TWh.
Heat: 88%88%Electricity: 1%Transport: 11%11%
  • Heat88%
  • Electricity1%
  • Transport11%

Heat in five numbers

Heatshare of all final energy use88%
Fossil heatshare of heat that comes from coal, oil and gas9%
Biomass and wastethe largest single source of heat91%
Electricityshare of final energy use, excluding transport1%
Fossil electricityshare of electricity generated from coal, oil and gas98%

Heat is all fuel and district heating used in industry, buildings and agriculture. Electricity that becomes heat, for example in electric cookers and water heaters, is counted as electricity because no data is available, so the true heat share is somewhat higher.

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