Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gabon instead of Madagascar, you would:
Health
live 4.7 years longer
In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 10.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Madagascar spends $63 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.
have 3.0 times more doctors per person
Madagascar has 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.
have 40.0% more access to essential health services
Madagascar scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gabon scores 49 as of 2021.
be 5.6 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Madagascar, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 2.8% of people as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to be obese
In Madagascar, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2024.
be 19.9% more likely to die by suicide
Madagascar has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 13.8 times more money
Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $599 as of 2025, while in Gabon, the GDP per capita is $8,263 as of 2025.
be 6.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Madagascar, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gabon, that number is 20.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 47.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Madagascar, approximately 445.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gabon, 233.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.0% more likely to be literate
In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 88.9% as of 2021.
be 39.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Madagascar, approximately 43.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Gabon, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2024.
have 14.4% fewer children
In Madagascar, there are approximately 31.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gabon, there are 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.4 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Madagascar, approximately 39% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 15% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.7 times more likely to have internet access
In Madagascar, approximately 18.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.
be 60.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Madagascar, approximately 55% of people have access to drinking water (78% in urban areas, and 39% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 89% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 49% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.9% less on education
Madagascar spends 3.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gabon spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 81.7% less coastline
Madagascar has a total of 4,828 km of coastline. In Gabon, that number is 885 km.
Safety
be 44.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Madagascar, road accidents kill 22.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 39.1 times more home broadband
Madagascar has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.
live with 95.6% less strain on fresh water
Madagascar withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gabon withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 12.8 times more electricity
Madagascar uses 80 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Gabon uses 1,023 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 13.7 times more CO2
Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Madagascar vs. Gabon
Gabon: At a glance
How big is Gabon compared to Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.