Madagascar — Country Profile

Madagascar — in Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique. Political status: semi-presidential republic. The country's capital is Antananarivo; it covers 587,041 sq km. Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France). Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center. Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south. Population: 31.3 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +2.15% per year. Median age: 20.5 years. Life expectancy: 68.8 years (2024 est.). Languages: Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.) Religions: Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 3…

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 45.96/100 — 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.

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.

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.

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)

POWER 45.96/100 Ranked #112 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Madagascar.

Historical timeline of Madagascar