Moving to Madagascar from Zambia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zambia to Madagascar — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zambia to Madagascar, and you’d need to navigate life in French and Malagasy. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Zambia and Madagascar stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Zambia performs better than Madagascar across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Madagascar leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Zambia generally does better on environment, though Madagascar leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Zambia performs better than Madagascar across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Madagascar generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Zambia generally does better on family life, though Madagascar leads in life expectancy.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank, Zambia Revenue Authority
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lusaka | Antananarivo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) | 79°/63°F (26°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lusaka | Antananarivo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.3°C) |
| Feb | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) | 79°/63°F (26.3°/17.4°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) | 79°/63°F (26.2°/17.0°C) |
| Apr | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.8°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) | 75°/57°F (23.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) | 71°/53°F (21.4°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Aug | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) | 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) |
| Oct | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C) |
| Dec | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.9°C) |
Data:
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD),
Direction Générale de la Météorologie
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia and Madagascar. To live, work, or study long-term in Madagascar, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Madagascar's immigration authority.
Zambia passport holder visiting Madagascar
Visa on Arrival
Madagascar passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Madagascar?
With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Madagascar can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Zambia and Madagascar.
Is Madagascar safe for expats?
Zambia performs better than Madagascar across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Madagascar compared to Zambia?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Madagascar leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Madagascar, compared to 2.6 in Zambia. Madagascar scores 35 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).
What's the weather like in Madagascar compared to Zambia?
The average high temperature in Antananarivo is 76°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Antananarivo receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Madagascar?
The official languages in Madagascar are French and Malagasy. In Zambia, the official language is English.
