Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Madagascar instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
be 80.0% less likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.
be 61.3% less likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.8 years less
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 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.
see 55.5% less spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Madagascar spends $63 as of 2023.
have 25.5% less access to essential health services
Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Madagascar scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 40.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Madagascar, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
be 4.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vanuatu, 15.9% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Madagascar, however, that number is 75.2% as of 2021.
make 85.2% less money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.
Life
have 14.7% more children
In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Madagascar, there are 31.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Madagascar, 445.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.1% less likely to be literate
In Vanuatu, the literacy rate is 88.0% as of 2023. In Madagascar, it is 74.7% as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 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 36.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% 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 73.3% less likely to have internet access
In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.
be 36.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vanuatu, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 84% 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 60.1% less on education
Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Madagascar spends 3.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 16.7% less on healthcare
Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 91.0% more coastline
Vanuatu has a total of 2,528 km of coastline. In Madagascar, that number is 4,828 km.
Safety
be 80.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Madagascar, they kill 22.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 89.7% less home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Madagascar has 0.1 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 82.8% less CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), The World Factbook (2020), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Madagascar
Madagascar: At a glance
How big is Madagascar compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.