If you lived in Madagascar instead of Burundi, you would:

Health

be 12.9% less likely to be obese

In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.

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have 2.2 times more doctors per person

Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Madagascar has 1.7 as of 2022.

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be 20.4% less likely to die by suicide

Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 37.2% less spent on your healthcare

Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Madagascar spends $63 as of 2023.

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have 14.6% less access to essential health services

Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Madagascar scores 35 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.

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be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Madagascar, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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be 47.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Madagascar, however, that number is 75.2% as of 2021.

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Life

be 41.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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.

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Basic Needs

be 3.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% 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.

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be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.

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be 16.0% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 32.2% less on education

Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Madagascar spends 3.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 62.3% less on healthcare

Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 82.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Madagascar, they kill 22.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 6.0 times more home broadband

Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Madagascar has 0.1 as of 2023.

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live with 10.5% more strain on fresh water

Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Madagascar withdraws 11% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 18.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Madagascar, it causes 58.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.1 times more CO2

Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Madagascar: At a glance

Madagascar is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 581,540 sq km. Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA achieved a second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006. In early 2009, protests over increasing restrictions on opposition press and activities resulted in RAVALOMANANA handing over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. Following a lengthy mediation process led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA defeated RAVALOMANANA's favored candidate Jean-Louis ROBINSON in a presidential runoff and was inaugurated in January 2014. Most international observers, while noting some irregularities, declared polls to be a credible reflection of the Malagasy public's will.
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