Madagascar
Africa · Eastern Africa
Currently reported
Drought reported in Madagascar since 21 Nov 2025.
Orange alert from GDACS, the UN and European Commission disaster alert service. Read the report
Island biodiversity like nowhere else, with 90% endemic species and an extremely low GDP.
At a Glance
📈Madagascar's Human Development Index
0.487
Low human development#176 of 191 countries worldwide, #41 of 54 in Africa.
Higher than 8% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and one of the most ecologically unique places on earth, where over 90 percent of its wildlife exists nowhere else, from lemurs and chameleons to baobab forests and extraordinary orchids. The Malagasy culture blends African, Asian, and Arab roots into something with its own distinct character, centred on the concept of fady, a system of ancestral customs that shapes everyday life. Those driven by wildlife and natural curiosity will find it one of the world's truly irreplaceable destinations.
- 90% of species found here exist nowhere else on earth.
- Lemurs are endemic — they exist only in Madagascar and nowhere else in the wild.
- World's largest vanilla producer — and the source of most 'natural vanilla' in global products.
Quick Facts
Capital
Antananarivo
Languages
French, Malagasy
Currency
Ar MGA
Area
581,800 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
34Mbps
GDP / Capita
$599
PPP / Capita
$2K
Inflation
8.1%
Unemployment
3.0%
Innovation (GII)
17.6
GNI / Capita
$560
Tax Revenue
10.9%
FDI Inflows
3.4%
Education Spend
3.0%
Cost of Living
22.5
Price Level Index
84th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1999
0.431 → 0.487 (+0.056)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 24 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about Madagascar for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
Find your match →💬Quick answers
What is Madagascar's Human Development Index?
Madagascar's Human Development Index is 0.487 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #176 of 191 countries.
Is Madagascar safe?
Madagascar scores 1.85 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #58 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Madagascar?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Madagascar at 22.5 (New York = 100); that is #6 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Madagascar?
Life expectancy at birth in Madagascar is 63.8 yrs (World Bank), ranked #176 of 195 countries.