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

Health

be 43.7% less likely to be obese

In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.

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be 51.5% less likely to die by suicide

India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 8.4 years less

In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 81.9% less spent on your healthcare

India spends $346 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Madagascar spends $63 as of 2023.

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have 76.2% fewer doctors per person

India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Madagascar has 1.7 as of 2022.

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have 44.4% less access to essential health services

India scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Madagascar scores 35 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 28.0% less likely to be unemployed

In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Madagascar, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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make 77.8% less money

India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.

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Life

have 98.4% more children

In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Madagascar, there are 31.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 5.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In India, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Madagascar, 445.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 84.5% more likely to die during infancy

In India, approximately 23.3 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.

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Basic Needs

be 60.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In India, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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 73.3% less likely to have internet access

In India, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.

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be 42.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In India, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 95% 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 25.6% less on education

India spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Madagascar spends 3.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 31.0% less coastline

India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In Madagascar, that number is 4,828 km.

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Safety

be 46.1% more likely to die in a road accident

In India, road accidents kill 15.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Madagascar, they kill 22.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 83.1% less strain on fresh water

India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Madagascar withdraws 11% as of 2022.

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find 96.2% less home broadband

India has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Madagascar has 0.1 as of 2023.

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use 93.2% less electricity

India uses 1,182 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Madagascar uses 80 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 30.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In India, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Madagascar, it causes 58.0 as of 2019.

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emit 93.1% less CO2

India emits 2.2 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), The World Factbook. 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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