Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.8 years longer

In Mali, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 65 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 38.4% less likely to be obese

In Mali, 8.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Madagascar, that number is 5.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 32.0% less money

Mali has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2023.

be 58.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Mali, 44.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Madagascar, however, that number is 70.7% as of 2012.

Life

be 2.2 times more likely to be literate

In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.5% as of 2018. In Madagascar, it is 77.3% as of 2021.

be 35.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Mali, approximately 60.6 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 32.8% fewer children

In Mali, there are approximately 41.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Madagascar, there are 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 31.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Mali, approximately 53% of people have electricity access (97% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Madagascar, that number is 36% of people on average (73% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 41.2% less likely to have internet access

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

be 35.1% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Mali, approximately 86% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 76% 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 29.5% less on education

Mali spends 4.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Madagascar spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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.
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