Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Madagascar instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
be 78.1% less likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.
live 2.5 years less
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.
see 80.9% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Madagascar spends $63 as of 2023.
have 45.7% fewer doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Madagascar has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 14.6% less access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Madagascar scores 35 as of 2021.
be 69.2% more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 77.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Madagascar, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
make 43.8% more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.
be 59.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Madagascar, however, that number is 75.2% as of 2021.
Life
be 2.0 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 74.7% as of 2021.
be 11.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Madagascar, on the other hand, 43.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.1% more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.
be 53.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 39% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 15% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 31.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 55% of people on average (78% in urban areas, and 39% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.1% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 50.0% more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Madagascar has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 79.4% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Madagascar withdraws 11% as of 2022.
Environment
be 59.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Madagascar, it causes 58.0 as of 2019.
emit 46.4% less CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Madagascar
Madagascar: At a glance
How big is Madagascar compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.