[1] The city is primarily a market town for the surrounding agricultural area.

It serves as an entrepot for Tuareg merchants from the north and Fulani traders from the south.

Various animist (or Azna) peoples began fleeing to the area to escape persecution from Muslim rulers further north.

[4] In 1990, Tahoua was reported to have the lowest HDI score in history, at 0.172.

Tahoua is mainly dominated by Fulani , and Tuareg ethnic groups.