Madagascar (Republic of Madagascar)

https://www.humantruth.info/madagascar.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Madagascar Republic of Madagascar
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	140th best
Capital	Antananarivo
Land Area	581 540km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	26.3m₂
Life Expectancy	64.49yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$1 484 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	MG, MDG, 450₅
Internet Domain	.mg₆
Currency	Ariary (MGA)₇
Telephone	+261₈

1. Overview

“Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA achieved a second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006. In early 2009, protests over increasing restrictions on opposition press and activities resulted in RAVALOMANANA handing over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. Numerous attempts have been made by regional and international organizations to resolve the subsequent political gridlock by forming a power-sharing government. Madagascar's independent electoral commission and the UN originally planned to hold a presidential election in early May 2013, but postponed the election until late July 2013, due to logistical delays.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Lemurs, baobabs, rainforest, beaches, desert, trekking and diving: Madagascar is a dream destination for nature and outdoor lovers, and half the fun is getting to all these incredible attractions.Madagascar is unique: 5% of all known animal and plant species can be found here, and here alone. The remarkable fauna and flora is matched by epic landscapes of an incredible diversity: you can go from rainforest to desert in just 300km. Few places on earth offer such an intense kaleidoscope of nature.
With 5000km of coastline, 450km of barrier reef and 250 islands, no stay in Madagascar would be complete without a few days on the island´s shores. Divers will revel in the choice of sites, from underwater `cathedrals´ to shipwrecks, and will relish the chance to see rays, whale sharks, reef sharks and many other kinds of sharks. Snorkellers will be awed by the sheer grace of turtles and marvel at the rainbow of colours displayed by corals and fish.
There is much history to discover, too, from the 12 sacred hills of Antananarivo to the pirate cemetery of Ile Sainte Marie and the vestige of Madagascar´s industrial revolution in Mantasoa.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Madagascar National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
170	Senegal	0.511
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
176	Eritrea	0.492
177	Guinea-Bissau	0.483
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
179	Afghanistan	$1 824
180	Eritrea	$1 729
181	Sierra Leone	$1 622
182	Madagascar	$1 484
183	Malawi	$1 466
184	Chad	$1 364
185	Yemen	$1 314
186	Liberia	$1 289
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
137	Vanuatu	107.2
138	Rwanda	107.5
139	Uganda	108.0
140	Madagascar	108.2
141	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	108.3
142	Burkina Faso	108.5
143	Tuvalu	108.7
144	Tanzania	108.8
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Madagascar's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Madagascar's population is predicted to rise to 35.33 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.79. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
48	Venezuela	28.9m
49	Yemen	28.5m
50	Nepal	28.1m
51	Madagascar	26.3m
52	N. Korea	25.5m
53	Cameroon	25.2m
54	Ivory Coast	25.1m
55	Australia	24.9m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
150	Sudan	65.3
151	Ethiopia	65.0
152	Tuvalu	64.5
153	Madagascar	64.5
154	Mauritania	64.4
155	Ghana	63.8
156	Yemen	63.8
157	Bolivia	63.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
33	Sao Tome & Principe	06.2
34	Comoros	06.3
35=	Mozambique	06.4
35=	Madagascar	06.4
35=	Papua New Guinea	06.4
38	Ghana	06.5
39=	Palestine	06.5
40	Ethiopia	06.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
188	N. Korea	0.2%
189	Sri Lanka	0.2%
190	Myanmar (Burma)	0.1%
191	Madagascar	0.1%
192	Indonesia	0.1%
193	Cuba	0.1%
194	Vietnam	0.1%
195	China	0.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
185	Qatar	0.7%
186	Nigeria	0.6%
187	Maldives	0.6%
188	China	0.6%
189	Japan	0.6%
190	Oman	0.5%
191	Madagascar	0.4%
192	Montenegro	0.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Madagascar's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #madagascar #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Mauritius	63.7
2	S. Africa	64.3
3	Cape Verde	68.0
	...
19	Sierra Leone	108.4
20	Gabon	108.8
21	Tanzania	108.9
22	Madagascar	110.4
23	Zambia	111.0
24	Uganda	112.1
25	Ivory Coast	112.2
26	S. Sudan	113.3
27	Nigeria	117.1
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
138	Tanzania	108.9
139	Solomon Islands	108.9
140	Maldives	110.2
141	Madagascar	110.4
142	Zambia	111.0
143	Jordan	111.1
144	Vietnam	111.6
145	Haiti	111.9
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₀
Pos.		2025₂₀
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
109	Guinea-Bissau	51.36
110	Haiti	51.06
111	Israel	51.06
112	Madagascar	50.80
113	Georgia	50.53
114	Colombia	49.80
115	Philippines	49.57
116	Kenya	49.41
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2018 % Victims₂₁
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
130	Syria	0.73
131	Liberia	0.74
132=	Guinea-Bissau	0.75
132=	Madagascar	0.75
132=	Malawi	0.75
135	Uganda	0.76
136=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.77
136=	Philippines	0.77
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Madagascar practices conscription, which involves a mandatory period of service in the military. But the Walk Free Foundation reports that this sometimes becomes slave labour as some 'concscripts' are assigned to lengthy and arduous work which is clearly non-military in nature₂₂ such as public infrastructure and civil construction work.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2014 Rank₂₃
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
62=	Fiji	61
63	Dominican Rep.	63
64	Cambodia	64
65	Madagascar	65
66	Brunei	66
67	Serbia	67
68	Guatemala	68
69=	Moldova	69
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
117	Bosnia & Herzegovina	4.0
118=	Armenia	4.0
118=	Singapore	4.0
118=	Madagascar	4.0
118=	Malaysia	4.0
118=	Ukraine	4.0
123	El Salvador	4.5
124=	Comoros	4.5
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₄
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
117	China	14
118=	Mauritius	14
118=	Botswana	14
118=	Madagascar	14
118=	Syria	14
118=	Sudan	14
118=	Cameroon	14
118=	Uzbekistan	14
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₅
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
58	Congo, DR	7.72
59	Seychelles	7.73
60	Jordan	7.75
61	Madagascar	7.75
62	Cuba	7.80
63	Guyana	7.85
64	Tanzania	8.05
65	Nicaragua	8.10
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Madagascar stated:

“Detention facilities were overcrowded and conditions poor. The right to freedom of expression was restricted. The judicial persecution of human rights defenders, activists and whistle-blowers persisted and an environmental defender was murdered. Cases of discrimination and violence against people with albinism increased. Abortion remained a criminal offence.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₆

Gender Equality:

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Madagascar and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Madagascar is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2022₂₇
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
141	Cameroon	0.56
142	Lesotho	0.56
143	Iraq	0.56
144	Madagascar	0.57
145	Togo	0.58
146	Malawi	0.58
147	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.58
148	Gambia	0.59
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
119=	Nigeria	1958
119=	Burkina Faso	1958
119=	Guinea	1958
122	Madagascar	1959
123=	Tunisia	1959
123=	Tanzania	1959
125	Tonga	1960
126=	Cyprus	1960
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₈
Pos.		2017 Score₂₈
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
113=	N. Korea	8
114	Rwanda	7
115=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5
115=	Madagascar	5
115=	Chad	5
118	Indonesia	1
119=	Ivory Coast	1
119=	Russia	1
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2021₂₉
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
128	Macedonia	3.3
129=	Liberia	3.3
129=	Malawi	3.3
129=	Madagascar	3.3
132	Burundi	3.5
133=	Guinea	3.5
133=	Equatorial Guinea	3.5
133=	Tanzania	3.5
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Madagascar's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #madagascar #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
30	Togo	148.2
31	Guinea-Bissau	148.8
32	Tanzania	149.5
33	Madagascar	149.9
34	Benin	151.0
35	Cameroon	151.5
36	Congo, DR	151.7
37	Ethiopia	151.7
38	Sierra Leone	153.1
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
186	Togo	148.2
187	Guinea-Bissau	148.8
188	Tanzania	149.5
189	Madagascar	149.9
190	Benin	151.0
191	Cameroon	151.5
192	Congo, DR	151.7
193	Ethiopia	151.7
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₁.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₁, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Madagascar is a pretty unhealthy country. Madagascar does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₂ and in its smoking rate₃₃. When it comes to most other metrics, Madagascar does not do well. It does worse than average when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁ (still high for Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its immunizations take-up₃₅ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₆. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Madagascar in 1990 was 51.7yrs, lower than the global average of 64.6. It improved by +14.2yrs in the 30 years from then, almost double the global average of +7.9yrs. Madagascar's peak fertility rate was 7.31 in 1965.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
150	Sudan	65.3
151	Ethiopia	65.0
152	Tuvalu	64.5
153	Madagascar	64.5
154	Mauritania	64.4
155	Ghana	63.8
156	Yemen	63.8
157	Bolivia	63.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₂
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
36=	Lebanon	1.5
37	Chad	1.6
38	Tuvalu	1.7
39=	Madagascar	1.9
39=	Tunisia	1.9
39=	Bahrain	1.9
42	Qatar	2.0
43=	Nepal	2.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2014₃₃
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
42	Guatemala	190
43	Ecuador	191
44	Myanmar (Burma)	206
45	Madagascar	206
46	Burkina Faso	213
47	Maldives	215
48	Panama	224
49	Grenada	224
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
133	Grenada	133
134	Montenegro	134
135	Iraq	135
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
140	Chad	140
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2016 %₃₇
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
14	Burkina Faso	23.2
15	Sri Lanka	23.3
16	Malawi	23.4
17	Madagascar	23.9
18	Myanmar (Burma)	24.8
19	Rwanda	25.1
20	Congo, DR	25.3
21	Laos	25.4
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₆
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
183	Somalia	116.1
184	Zambia	116.1
185	Malawi	117.2
186	Madagascar	118.1
187	Liberia	122.0
188	Tanzania	123.4
189	Chad	135.7
190	Angola	135.8
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₅
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₅
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
174	Liberia	72.6
175	S. Africa	72.5
176=	Angola	71.9
176=	Madagascar	71.9
178	Iraq	70.7
179	Afghanistan	70.6
180	Niger	69.7
181	Samoa	68.1
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Madagascar was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that still fell into the same grouping.

6. Madagascar's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #madagascar #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
4	Madagascar	52.4
5	Nigeria	55.8
6	Rwanda	56.4
7	Uganda	57.8
8	Kenya	57.9
9	Mauritius	58.1
10	Ghana	58.6
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
10	Costa Rica	49.7
11	Denmark	50.4
12	Mali	51.0
13	Madagascar	52.4
14	Nigeria	55.8
15	Rwanda	56.4
16	Chile	56.4
17	Peru	56.7
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Madagascar comes 13th-best in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 6 data sets. Madagascar comes in the best 20 for reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₉ (amongst the best in Africa) and in energy to GDP efficiency₄₀. It does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₁ (one of the best in Africa) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. But, there's bad news too. Madagascar does worse than average in terms of its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its environmental performance₄₃ (amongst the worst in Africa).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		Total₄₂
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
167	Peru	-4.0%
168	S. Africa	-4.1%
169	Brunei	-4.3%
170	Madagascar	-4.6%
171	Togo	-4.7%
172	Zambia	-4.8%
173	Laos	-4.8%
174	Zimbabwe	-5.1%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
172	Niger	35.7
173	Lesotho	33.8
174	Haiti	33.7
175	Madagascar	33.7
176	Nepal	31.4
177	India	30.6
178	Congo, DR	30.4
179	Bangladesh	29.6
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₀
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
4	Uganda	0.37
5	Sierra Leone	0.37
6	Malawi	0.37
7	Madagascar	0.38
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
60	Morocco	66%
61	Congo, DR	65%
62	Sri Lanka	65%
63	Madagascar	65%
64	China	64%
65	Malaysia	64%
66	Botswana	64%
67	El Salvador	64%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2011 %₄₁
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
19	Peru	63.9%
20	Chile	63.8%
21	Ivory Coast	63.7%
22	Madagascar	62.8%
23	Uruguay	62.4%
24	Angola	62.4%
25	Bangladesh	61.5%
26	Mali	60.7%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2021 kg₃₉
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
4	Madagascar	05.4
5	India	05.7
6	Nigeria	07.0
7	Ethiopia	07.1
8	Rwanda	07.6
9	Mali	07.8
10	Niger	08.1
11	Afghanistan	08.7
12	Uganda	09.4
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Madagascar had the 5th-lowest meat consumption per person in the world.₃₉

7. Madagascar's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #corruption #economics #education #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #modernity #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #research #science #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
37	Tanzania	140.1
38	Congo, DR	141.3
39	Mozambique	142.4
40	Madagascar	146.6
41=	Comoros	147.0
41=	Mauritania	147.0
43	Djibouti	148.0
44	Burundi	148.5
45=	Gambia	155.6
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
170	Yemen	141.2
171	Congo, DR	141.3
172	Mozambique	142.4
173	Madagascar	146.6
174=	Comoros	147.0
174=	Mauritania	147.0
176	Afghanistan	147.7
177	Djibouti	148.0
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₅. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₅. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₆.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₇

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₅.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₈
2	Israel	4.11₄₈
3	Japan	3.58₄₈
	...
104=	Gambia	0.13₄₉
105	Tajikistan	0.12₅₀
106=	Burundi	0.12₄₉
107	Madagascar	0.11₄₉
108=	Philippines	0.11₅₁
108=	Myanmar (Burma)	0.11₅₂
110	Peru	0.10₅₃
111	Paraguay	0.09₅₄
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2021 Years₅₅
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
165	Mozambique	10.2
166	Uganda	10.1
167	Laos	10.1
168	Madagascar	10.1
169	Honduras	10.1
170	Nigeria	10.1
171	Congo, DR	9.8
172	Guinea	9.8
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
103	Cape Verde	103
104	Swaziland	104
105	Albania	105
106	Madagascar	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Yemen	108
109	Brazil	109
110	Nicaragua	110
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2006₅₆
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
93=	Bangladesh	82
93=	Lebanon	82
93=	Dominican Rep.	82
93=	Madagascar	82
97	Egypt	81
98=	Honduras	81
98=	Nicaragua	81
100	El Salvador	80
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		2016₅₇
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
186	Benin	6%
187	Tanzania	5%
188	Central African Rep.	5%
189	Madagascar	4%
190	Ethiopia	4%
191	Congo, DR	4%
192	Guinea-Bissau	4%
193	Chad	3%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

National Culture:

Madagascar has a consistently awful long-term record on corruption.

Corruption Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2022 Points₅₈
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
141	Kyrgyzstan	27.0
142	Liberia	26.0
143=	Mozambique	26.0
143=	Madagascar	26.0
143=	Cameroon	26.0
143=	Uganda	26.0
147	Guinea	25.0
148=	Bangladesh	25.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2024 Score₅₉
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
127	Togo	4.3
128	Jordan	4.3
129	Liberia	4.3
130	Madagascar	4.2
131	Zambia	3.9
132	Ethiopia	3.9
133	Sri Lanka	3.9
134	Bangladesh	3.9
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
94	Papua New Guinea	94
95	Belarus	95
96	Mongolia	96
97	Madagascar	97
98	Bolivia	98
99	El Salvador	99
100	Nicaragua	100
101	Russia	101
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
100	Argentina	100
101	Seychelles	101
102	Australia	102
103	Madagascar	103
104	Dominica	104
105	Iceland	105
106	Bolivia	106
107	Ghana	107
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2023 Score₆₀
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
52	Senegal	1.83
53	Indonesia	1.83
54	Argentina	1.84
55	Madagascar	1.85
56	Namibia	1.86
57	Moldova	1.87
58	Chile	1.87
59	Gambia	1.89
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
22	Algeria	22
23	Guatemala	23
24	Ecuador	24
25	Madagascar	25
26	Sri Lanka	26
27	Netherlands	27
28	Mongolia	28
29	Rwanda	29
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
123	Guinea	123
124	Congo, (Brazzaville)	124
125	Swaziland	125
126	Madagascar	126
127	Benin	127
128	Yemen	128
129	Pakistan	129
130	Samoa	130
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2019 Score₆₁
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
66	Kazakhstan	1.57
67	Austria	1.66
68	Argentina	1.68
69	Madagascar	1.96
70	Finland	2.03
71	Haiti	2.18
72	Kosovo	2.26
73	Japan	2.29
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2019₆₂
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
129	Botswana	19.40
130	Rwanda	19.50
131	India	19.70
132	Madagascar	21.10
133	Senegal	21.20
134	Eritrea	21.40
135	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	21.70
136	Namibia	22.10
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₃
Pos.		2023 %₆₃
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₄
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₄
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₅
	...
131	Papua New Guinea	41.9%₆₆
132	Cameroon	42.2%₆₄
133	Cape Verde	42.4%₆₇
134	Madagascar	42.6%₆₈
135	Uganda	42.7%₆₉
136=	Central African Rep.	43.0%₆₄
136=	Chile	43.0%₇₀
138	Ghana	43.5%₇₁
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Madagascar - only for 8 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₂
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₂
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
91	Congo, DR	.389
92	Burundi	.403
93	Mozambique	.411
94	Madagascar	.453
95	Mali	.457
96	Central African Rep.	.465
97	Ethiopia	.489
98	Burkina Faso	.519
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

8. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₃
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₃
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
122=	Niger	0
122=	Saudi Arabia	0
122=	Rwanda	0
122=	Cameroon	0
122=	Philippines	0
122=	Kuwait	0
122=	Madagascar	0
122=	Nigeria	0
122=	Malawi	0
122=	Chad	0
122=	Nepal	0
122=	Morocco	0
122=	Mauritania	0
122=	Mali	0
122=	Senegal	0
122=	Oman	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₄:

Christian	85.3%
Muslim	3%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	4.5%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	6.9%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%₇₅.

Links: