Madagascar vs Vanuatu
Economics, safety, healthcare, politics, quality of life, visa freedom and top nomad cities side by side.
Overview
 MG
Madagascar
|
 VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of Madagascar | Republic of Vanuatu |
| Capital | Antananarivo | Port Vila |
| Region | Africa Eastern Africa | Oceania Melanesia |
| Currency | Malagasy ariary | Vanuatu vatu |
At a glance
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Average nomad score | 46 | 47 |
| Population | 31,964,956 | 335,908 |
| Area | 587,041 km² | 12,189 km² |
| Density | 54.5 per km² | 24.6 per km² |
| Human development index | 0.487 | 0.621 |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $2,849 (2031) | $5,365 (2031) |
| Life expectancy | 63.8 yrs (2024) | 71.7 yrs (2024) |
| Visa-free access | 57 countries #145 | 80 countries #109 |
Economics
Latest available year in brackets
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| GDP nominal | $33.6B (2031) | $1.8B (2031) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $2,849 (2031) | $5,365 (2031) |
| GDP growth | 4.8% (2031) | 2.5% (2031) |
| Inflation (CPI) | 5.0% (2031) | 2.3% (2031) |
| Unemployment | 3.0% (2025) | 5.1% (2025) |
| Gini index | 36.8 (2021) | 32.3 (2019) |
| Internet users | 18.7% (2024) | 22.4% (2015) |
| Urban population | 32.9% (2025) | 22.3% (2025) |
| Government debt (% of GDP) | 48.3% (2031) | 52.9% (2031) |
| Trade openness | 54.2% (2025) | 73.4% (2024) |
| Labor force participation | 86.9% (2025) | 60.0% (2025) |
Healthcare
Latest available year in brackets
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 63.8 yrs (2024) | 71.7 yrs (2024) |
Quality of life
Latest available year in brackets
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life satisfaction | 4.2 (2025) | — |
| Healthy life expectancy | 55.1 yrs (2021) | 58.7 yrs (2021) |
| Universal health coverage | 33 (2023) | 52 (2023) |
| Broadband per 100 people | 0.1 (2023) | 1.2 (2024) |
Environment
Latest available year in brackets
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 11.6 (2024) | 5.8 (2024) |
| Renewable energy | 42.4% (2024) | 25.0% (2023) |
Demographics and society
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic under a Council of the Presidency for the Re-Foundation of the Republic of Madagascar | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Languages | French, Malagasy | Bislama, English, French |
| Time zones | UTC+03:00 | UTC+11:00 |
| Driving side | Right | Right |
| Literacy rate | 74.7% (2021) | 88.0% (2023) |
| Education spending | 3.1% of GDP (2023) | 7.6% of GDP (2024) |
| Health spending | 3.4% of GDP (2023) | 4.1% of GDP (2023) |
| Fertility rate | 3.9 (2024) | 3.6 (2024) |
| Birth rate | 31.7 per 1,000 (2024) | 27.7 per 1,000 (2024) |
| Death rate | 7.5 per 1,000 (2024) | 5.0 per 1,000 (2024) |
| Infant mortality | 43.0 per 1,000 (2024) | 14.4 per 1,000 (2024) |
Politics and governance
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Corruption perceptions (CPI) | 25.00 (2026) | 47.00 (2026) |
| Press freedom | 50.8 #113 Afrique (2025) | — |
| Electoral democracy | 0.36 | 0.73 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.19 | 0.62 |
| Participatory democracy | 0.22 | 0.32 |
Top nomad cities
Nomad score and monthly cost of living
|
MG
Madagascar
|
VU
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Nosy Be 4.9 · $2,546 / mo | Port Vila 5.2 · $1,970 / mo |
| #2 | Antananarivo 4.8 · $1,252 / mo | Luganville 4.8 · $2,114 / mo |
| #3 | Tamatave 4.7 · $955 / mo | Espiritu Santo 4.8 · $1,996 / mo |
| #4 | Diego Suarez 4.7 · $1,630 / mo | Tanna 4.1 · $2,879 / mo |
| #5 | Mahajanga 4.7 · $1,442 / mo | — |