Madagascar — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Madagascar: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Madagascar — in Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique. Political status: semi-presidential republic. It covers 587,041 sq km. Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center. Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south.
| Capital | Antananarivo |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,345,040 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $52.968 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $1,700 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 9.9% (2023 est.) |
| Unemployment | 3.1% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 38.4% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $4.689 billion (2022 est.) |
| Imports | $6.041 billion (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 68.8 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 20.5 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 40.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | semi-presidential republic |
| Independence | 26 June 1960 (from France) |
| Languages | Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.) |
Madagascar’s GDP is $52.968 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $17.421 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 4.2% (2024 est.). See where Madagascar ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Jul–Sep 2026 came and went without leaving a mark on the country's trajectory. Continuity, not change, is the story.
For a small or mid-sized state, that is often the good outcome: no shock to absorb, no crisis to manage.
- What our model rewards: unemployment near 3.1% — work for whoever wants it; public debt under 38% of GDP — room to maneuver
- What drags it down: a median age of 20 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom; a current-account deficit of $1 billion (4.8% of GDP) — living beyond its means
Graphite, Coal, Bauxite, Rare earths, Salt, Mica, Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 36.1% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 64.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 31.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 1.816 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $4.689 billion (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $6.041 billion (2022 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $1.4 billion (2022), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Michael Randrianirina — Transitional President. Michael RANDRIANIRINA (Col.)
Madagascar maintains 19 embassies and 3 consulates abroad, hosts 22 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 19 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 3 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 22 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 4828 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 93 (registration prefix 5R) |
| Major seaports | Andoany, Antsiranana, Antsohim Bondrona, Iharana, Mahajanga, Maintirano, Manakara, Mananjary, Maroantsetra, Morondava, Toamasina, Tolanaro, Toliara |
| Railways | 836 km |
Major airports
Amborovy Airport (MJN) — Mahajanga; Ivato International Airport (TNR) — Antananarivo; Nosy Be International Airport (NOS) — Nosy Be; Toamasina Ambalamanasy Airport (TMM) — Toamasina; Arrachart Airport (DIE) — Antisiranana; Besalampy Airport (BPY) — Besalampy; Mananjary Airport (MNJ) — Mananjary; Maroantsetra Airport (WMN) — Maroantsetra; Morondava Airport (MOQ) — Morondava; Sainte Marie Airport (SMS) — Vohilava.
Showing 10 of 13 major airports.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | semi-presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Madagascar.
Historical timeline of Madagascar
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Madagascar — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Madagascar's power score?
Madagascar has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.