Madagascar

Sub-Saharan Africa·Low income

Population: 31.2M; 49th of 217
GDP: $17.4B; 137th of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $545; 209th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 63.6; 198th of 217
Human development: 0.501; 171st of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Madagascar

Central African Republic

Malawi

Somalia

Mozambique

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

low-income East African island economy; natural resource rich; extreme poverty; return of political stability has helped growth; sharp tax revenue drop due to COVID-19; leading vanilla producer; environmentally fragile

Area: 587,041 km²
Languages: Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)
Resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands…

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian74.2%▲ 4.2pt
Unaffiliated22.3%
Other2.2%▼ 4.6pt
Muslim1.2%▲ 0.5pt

Religious diversity: 4.66 / 10 · moderate · 64th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

MDG

CAF

MWI

SOM

GDP

current US$

$17.4B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$415M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

42.6%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

22.5%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

22.8%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

1,799.3–––

Population

people

31.2M–––

Population density

people per km²

52.3–––

Urban population

% of total

40.6%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

4–––

Net migration

people

-1,795–––

Population under 15

% of total

39.3%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3.4%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

3.3%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

3.1%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Safe drinking water

% of population

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

532.2–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

86.7–––

Electricity generation

TWh

2.6–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

4.66–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

22.3%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

0.7%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#137/214

$17.4B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#209/214

$5452024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#195/203

$1,808latest

GDP growth

annual %

#67/214

4.2%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#205/207

$5102024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#167/213

7.6%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#122/201

$415M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#145/205

42.6%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#29/206

22.5%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#111/208

22.8%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#42/187

3.1%latest

Gini index

0–100

#135/168

42.5latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#168/168

87.7%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#157/165

$1,3672022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#133/144

1.722023

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

#82/129

1,799.32023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#49/217

31.2Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#150/216

52.3latest

Urban population

% of total

#169/215

40.6%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#198/217

63.6latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#28/217

4latest

Net migration

people

#121/217

-1,7952024

Population under 15

% of total

#29/217

39.3%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#180/217

3.4%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#176/196

44.2latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#179/196

64.8latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#173/192

3.3%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#161/195

0.2latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#122/160

77.5%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#148/199

3.1%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#173/194

6.4%latest

Safe drinking water

% of population

#126/139

22.2%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#197/210

20.4%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#173/214

75.52023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#189/208

0.12023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#192/215

25.12024

Access to electricity

% of population

#203/215

39.4%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#189/198

532.22023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#188/202

86.72022

Electricity generation

TWh

#137/202

2.62022

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#88/202

35.2%2022

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#102/202

64.8%2022

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#66/204

4.52024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#10/204

0.12024

Share of global CO₂

#138/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#26/193

1.92023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#69/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#104/210

0.5%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#107/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#81/210

0.3%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#110/210

0.5722024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#107/175

0.3612025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#110/175

0.1872025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#104/175

0.6522025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#162/175

0.8822025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#76/175

0.6842025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#142/178

262022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#155/193

-1.012022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#162/193

-0.9882022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#154/193

-0.9422022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#139/193

-0.5312022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#109/175

0.7042025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#51/126

02025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#64/126

02025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#63/126

02025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#64/193

4.662020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#33/193

22.3%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#171/189

0.5012021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#143/170

0.5562021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#141/164

4.172025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#54/158

1.852023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#141/161

0.7%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.