Madagascar

🇲🇬

Republic of Madagascar

MDG
2
Belligerents
Overview

Madagascar defense profile covering crime, unrest, climate disasters, cyclone response, food insecurity, maritime exposure, and source limits.

Belligerents & Organizations
Country Statistics
Demographics
Population, Total31.96M persons (2024)
Population Growth Rate2.44% (2024)
Urban Population Ratio32.43% (2024)
Working Age Population57.34% (2024)
Literacy Rate74.69% (2021)
Tertiary Education Enrollment Rate6.15% (2023)
Life Expectancy63.63 years (2023)
Defense
Military Expenditure121.63M current US$ (2024)
Military Expenditure Ratio0.71 % of GDP (2024)
Military
Military BranchesMadagascar Armed Forces (aka Armed forces of the Republic of Madagascar); Malagasy Army, Naval Forces (or National Navy), Air Force; Malagasy National Gendarmerie (2025) text (2025)
Military Service Age18 years (2025)
Active Military Personnelestimated 13,000 Armed Forces; estimated 10,000 Gendarmerie (2025) count (2025)
Military Equipment Overviewthe military's inventory consists mostly of older or secondhand armaments originating from countries such as France, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, the UAE, the UK, and the US (2025) text (2025)
Conscription System18 text (2025)
Economy
GDP (Nominal)17.42B current US$ (2024)
GDP (PPP)60.21B current international $ (2024)
GDP Per Capita544.99 current US$ (2024)
GDP Growth Rate4.20% (2024)
Inflation Rate9.87% (2023)
Foreign Reserves2.78B current US$ (2024)
Trade Balance-1.47B current US$ (2024)
Industry
Manufacturing Value Added2.20B current US$ (2024)
Industry GDP Ratio22.79 % of GDP (2024)
Manufacturing GDP Ratio12.65 % of GDP (2024)
Natural Resourcesgraphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower text
Technology
Patent Applications6 applications (2021)
High-Tech Exports7.91M current US$ (2024)
Internet Penetration20.37% (2023)
Infrastructure
Air Transport Passengers313,313 passengers (2023)
Electricity Access39.40% (2023)
Logistics Performance Index2.3 index 1-5 (2022)
Total Area587,041 km²
Land Area581,540 km²
Water Area5,501 km²
Land Boundaries0 km
Coastline4,828 km
Railway Length836 km (2018)
Irrigated Land10,860 km² (2012)
Merchant Marine29 count (2023)
Electricity Capacity759,000 kW (2023)
Electricity - Fossil Fuel64.80% (2023)
Electricity - Hydroelectric31.10% (2023)
Electricity - Solar3.20% (2023)
Electricity Consumption2.51 kWh (2023)
Other Statistics
Terrainnarrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center text
Climatetropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south text
Natural Hazardsperiodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in recorded history text
Government Typesemi-presidential republic text
CapitalAntananarivo text
Legal Systemcivil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation text
Administrative Divisions6 text
Internet Country Code.mg text
Large Island, Limited Infrastructure
Strategic Context

Madagascar's island geography and weak infrastructure make disaster response and internal mobility central security issues.

Madagascar's size, poor road connectivity, and exposure to Indian Ocean weather systems make state reach difficult. Security planning must account for remote regions, maritime approaches, ports, and emergency logistics.

The country is best understood through resilience and public-order capacity rather than conventional interstate defense.

World Bank, 2026U.S. Department of State, 2025
Crime, Unrest, and Institutional Capacity
Governance Security

Crime and unrest remain important security concerns in a context of poverty and limited public services.

Travel and governance sources highlight crime, unrest, and political pressures. These problems affect policing, public demonstrations, local trust, and the ability of the state to manage emergencies.

A defense profile should include police capacity, civil unrest, and institutional legitimacy alongside maritime and disaster-response issues.

U.S. Department of State, 2025Freedom House, 2026
Drought, Cyclones, and Food Insecurity
Civilian Impact

Food security is a national-security issue because climate shocks can overwhelm vulnerable communities.

Southern Madagascar is vulnerable to drought, while southeastern regions face cyclones and flooding. Food insecurity, damaged roads, and limited emergency access can quickly turn climate shocks into humanitarian crises.

World Food Programme, 2026World Bank, 2026
Maritime Exposure and Emergency Logistics
Regional Flashpoints

Ports, fisheries, coastal communities, and humanitarian logistics shape the island's security environment.

Madagascar's maritime exposure affects fisheries, coastal trade, emergency relief, and law enforcement. After cyclones or floods, the ability to move food, medical support, and security personnel can matter as much as traditional military capability.

The island's defense profile is therefore closely tied to logistics and civil protection.

World Food Programme, 2026U.S. Department of State, 2025
Island Resilience and State Reach
Island Resilience And State Reach

Madagascar's geography, infrastructure, and climate risk shape the state's reach across the island.

Madagascar is best understood as a governance-and-resilience case where geography defines state power. Limited transport networks, long distances, and climate shocks make it difficult for national institutions to project services evenly across the island.

The country's security challenges center on resilience rather than conventional conflict; public services, logistics, and emergency access are critical to national stability.

World Bank, 2026World Food Programme, 2026U.S. Department of State, 2025
Madagascar: Climate and Security Risks
Assessment Notes

Madagascar's risks are strongly documented for climate and public safety, but less precise for local security-service performance.

Open sources clearly show vulnerability to cyclones, drought, food insecurity, crime, and unrest. They are less precise on regional policing capacity, illicit maritime activity, and the readiness of specific security units.

Madagascar is best characterized as a climate-security and resilience case rather than an active war profile.

U.S. Department of State, 2025World Food Programme, 2026World Bank, 2026
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