Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.0 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022. In Madagascar, that number is 68 years (67 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022.

be 44.8% less likely to be obese

In Benin, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Madagascar, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 55.9% less money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $3,400 as of 2022, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2022.

be 28.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Madagascar, that number is 1.9% as of 2022.

be 83.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 38.5% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Madagascar, however, that number is 70.7% as of 2012.

Life

be 25.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 523.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Madagascar, 392.0 women do as of 2020.

be 68.8% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 45.8% as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 77.3% as of 2021.

be 30.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 55.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Madagascar, on the other hand, 39.0 children do as of 2022.

have 31.5% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 40.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Madagascar, there are 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 16.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Benin, approximately 42% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Madagascar, that number is 35% of people on average (73% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 41.2% less likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Madagascar, about 20.0% do as of 2021.

be 24.9% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Benin, approximately 75% of people have improved drinking water access (79% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Madagascar, that number is 56% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 50.0% more on healthcare

Benin spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Madagascar, that number is 3.9% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 39.9 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Madagascar, that number is 4,828 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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.
Read more

How big is Madagascar compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Madagascar.or Benin It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.