01
Physical geography
Narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center.
Local timeAntananarivo ·
Africa / Eastern Africa · Card 030
Madagascar
Madagascar is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Antananarivo.
Find Madagascar
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Antananarivo
- Languages
- French & Malagasy
- Currency
- Malagasy ariary (MGA)
- Population
- 32.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 587,041 km²226,658 square miles
- Independence
- 1960from France
Madagascar in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Antananarivo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include French, Malagasy.
03
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique.
Flag
Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green, with a vertical white band on the left side
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
History & independence
Madagascar became independent from France on 26 June 1960 after a period of internal autonomy. Earlier resistance included the 1947 uprising against colonial rule. Its later history has included several constitutional and political transitions.
-
France establishes colonial rule
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An uprising challenges French rule
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Independence from France
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, mining, textiles and tourism are important activities. Vanilla is a notable export. The island’s biodiversity supports tourism, while transport and energy limitations constrain economic development.
Industry and production
meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people32.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,672,003 | 6.672 |
| 1980 | 9,006,032 | 9.006 |
| 1990 | 12,055,639 | 12.056 |
| 2000 | 16,516,338 | 16.516 |
| 2010 | 22,183,340 | 22.183 |
| 2020 | 28,953,556 | 28.954 |
| 2025 | 32,740,678 | 32.741 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars14.92025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6,492,398,920 | 6.492 |
| 1991 | 6,082,965,418 | 6.083 |
| 1992 | 6,154,798,241 | 6.155 |
| 1993 | 6,284,044,276 | 6.284 |
| 1994 | 6,281,398,611 | 6.281 |
| 1995 | 6,386,837,686 | 6.387 |
| 1996 | 6,524,423,229 | 6.524 |
| 1997 | 6,765,402,319 | 6.765 |
| 1998 | 7,030,408,176 | 7.030 |
| 1999 | 7,360,783,017 | 7.361 |
| 2000 | 7,688,842,733 | 7.689 |
| 2001 | 8,148,653,657 | 8.149 |
| 2002 | 7,137,571,065 | 7.138 |
| 2003 | 7,835,974,695 | 7.836 |
| 2004 | 8,247,912,168 | 8.248 |
| 2005 | 8,640,170,094 | 8.640 |
| 2006 | 9,106,610,407 | 9.107 |
| 2007 | 9,626,649,241 | 9.627 |
| 2008 | 10,272,850,830 | 10.273 |
| 2009 | 9,864,124,029 | 9.864 |
| 2010 | 9,925,206,606 | 9.925 |
| 2011 | 10,081,868,752 | 10.082 |
| 2012 | 10,385,448,753 | 10.385 |
| 2013 | 10,624,353,147 | 10.624 |
| 2014 | 10,979,121,878 | 10.979 |
| 2015 | 11,323,020,701 | 11.323 |
| 2016 | 11,775,165,457 | 11.775 |
| 2017 | 12,238,318,934 | 12.238 |
| 2018 | 12,629,254,472 | 12.629 |
| 2019 | 13,186,360,203 | 13.186 |
| 2020 | 12,245,161,113 | 12.245 |
| 2021 | 12,814,644,792 | 12.815 |
| 2022 | 13,344,855,250 | 13.345 |
| 2023 | 13,909,458,168 | 13.909 |
| 2024 | 14,510,741,411 | 14.511 |
| 2025 | 14,946,436,415 | 14.946 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.487Low human developmentRank 183 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20000.443
20100.493
20200.483
20230.487
63.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
4.6 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Transitional government established after the political crisis of October 2025. The transition authorities announced a process toward a new constitution and elections.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Knowledge check
Three questions about Madagascar.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which spice is a notable export from Madagascar?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.