Administrative divisions of Chad

The administrative divisions of Chad are in three levels. Chad is divided into 23 provinces, 120 departments, and 454 sub-prefectures. The last major reform was on 4 July 2024.

The divisions have often changed since 1900, when the territory was first created by France as part of its colonial empire, with the name Territoire Militaire des pays et protectorats du Tchad. The first subdivision took place in 1910, when 9 circumscriptions were made, named départements (departments) in 1935 and régions (regions) in 1947. As for the regions, they were further divided in districts.

In 1960, immediately before independence, the régions became préfectures (prefectures), and the districts instead sous-prefectures (sub-prefectures). The prefectures were in origin 11, later on raising to 14. In 1999 they were modified in 28 departments; this was ultimately changed in 2002, when 18 regions replaced them. Regions were divided into departments, while the latter were divided in sub-prefectures. After a series of splits in 2008 the number of regions increased to 22. In 2012 Ennedi Region was split into Ennedi-Est and Ennedi-Ouest, producing 23 regions. On 10 August 2018, a new ordinance divided Chad into 23 provinces, 107 departments, and 377 communes. The names of the former regions remained the same but were now called provinces.