Rising cost of living in Chad: economist calls for market price monitoring

Survival on 2 000 francs a day in Chad

Surviving on 2 000 francs CFA per day is the harsh reality facing many households in Chad today. For a family of five or six, this translates to just 375 francs per person—barely enough to put food on the table. In a typical Tchadian household, what does this budget truly mean?

The silent erosion of nutrition

As prices climb, families are forced to prioritize quantity over quality. Protein-rich foods vanish first, followed by vegetables. What remains is a diet stripped of balance, where survival takes precedence over nutrition. Children grow up without the essential nutrients they need to thrive, risking long-term health consequences.

Chad’s food basket is empty. The sociologist Remadji Ngaba underscores this grim reality: “Today, Chad suffers bitterly. The average household’s food basket is nearly bare.” Despite this, Chad’s people have developed an unshakable resilience—surviving is no longer a choice but a necessity.

The invisible burden on women

When the cost of living spirals out of control, it is the women who bear the heaviest load. As the primary managers of household budgets, they face the brunt of price hikes. When a wife returns from the market lamenting rising costs, it’s not an exaggeration—it’s a daily struggle. “The market has become a place of suffering,” Ngaba asserts. Authorities, he argues, have failed to implement lasting price controls, with only temporary measures that fade as quickly as they appear.

From fields to cities: the cost of instability

Chad boasts 33 million hectares of arable land across its 1.28 million square kilometers. Yet hunger persists. The crisis is most acute in urban areas, where everything comes at a price. But rural communities are not spared. Farmers and herders face relentless threats: crops trampled by wandering livestock, absent justice, and a lack of protection.

As the pressure mounts, many abandon the countryside for the perceived safety of cities like N’Djamena. “Not everyone can live in N’Djamena,” Ngaba warns. “It’s not safe. But what choice do people have when the land offers no future?”

Farmers and herders caught in conflict

Disputes between farmers and herders cripple local production, which could otherwise help stabilize urban food prices. “Both farmers and herders must be protected,” Ngaba emphasizes. Without this safeguard, small-scale agriculture—a potential lifeline—remains stifled.

The weight of stagnant wages

The minimum wage in Chad has remained frozen at 60 000 francs CFA since 2011—even as prices have doubled. In N’Djamena, even a modest room costs between 20 000 and 25 000 francs. When rent, utilities, and other expenses consume most of a salary, little remains for anything else.

A call for action: pragmatic solutions

Ngaba advocates for targeted interventions: subsidizing agricultural projects, harnessing water resources, and establishing regular market price monitoring. “Leaders are hungry too,” he notes. “They travel, they see how others manage their people’s well-being. They must do more.”