Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Madagascar, you would:
Health
live 2.2 years longer
In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Madagascar spends $63 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
have 17.1% more access to essential health services
Madagascar scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
be 6.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Madagascar, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Madagascar, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
be 10.2% more likely to die by suicide
Madagascar has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.2 times more money
Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $599 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
be 6.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Madagascar, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 45.8% 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.2% 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.2% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Madagascar, approximately 18.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 32.8% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Geography
see 96.5% less coastline
Madagascar has a total of 4,828 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.
Safety
be 62.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Madagascar, road accidents kill 22.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.6 times more home broadband
Madagascar has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water
Madagascar withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 4.2 times more electricity
Madagascar uses 80 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 13.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Madagascar, air pollution causes 58.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Republic of the Congo, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.9 times more CO2
Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Madagascar vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.