Madagascar vs Zambia
Madagascar vs Zambia: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 47.8% of GDP in Madagascar and 100.6% of GDP in Zambia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 52.8 percentage points, or 2.11 times that in Madagascar.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Zambia has been higher since 2015, when it overtook Madagascar.
- In 2025, Madagascar ranked 85 and Zambia ranked 13 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Madagascar at 49.7% of GDP and Zambia at 56.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Madagascar | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 47.8 | 100.6 |
| 2024 | 49.8 | 125.5 |
| 2023 | 52.2 | 136.8 |
| 2022 | 49.8 | 99.5 |
| 2021 | 49.4 | 111 |
| 2020 | 52.9 | 140 |
| 2019 | 41.3 | 103.3 |
| 2018 | 42.9 | 81.2 |
| 2017 | 40.1 | 66.6 |
| 2016 | 40.3 | 61.2 |
| 2015 | 44.1 | 61.9 |
| 2014 | 37.9 | 33.9 |
| 2013 | 36.2 | 25.9 |
| 2012 | 30.4 | 24.9 |
| 2011 | 30 | 20.8 |
| 2010 | 32.3 | 18.9 |
| 2009 | 34.9 | 20.5 |
| 2008 | 31 | 19.2 |
| 2007 | 28.2 | 21.9 |
| 2006 | 32.2 | 25 |
| 2005 | 74.4 | 75.8 |
| 2004 | 81.9 | 129.9 |
| 2003 | 85.9 | 159.5 |
| 2002 | 86.7 | 180.2 |
| 2001 | 82.1 | 210.2 |
| 2000 | 90.2 | 261 |
| 1999 | 104.1 | – |
| 1998 | 108.5 | – |
| 1997 | 89.7 | – |
| 1996 | 98.7 | – |
| 1995 | 95.8 | – |
| 1994 | 96 | – |
| 1993 | 105.2 | – |
| 1992 | 110.9 | – |
| 1991 | 113.8 | – |
| 1990 | 92.7 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Madagascar | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 49.8 | 82.1 |
| 2027 | 50.6 | 77 |
| 2028 | 50.9 | 72.3 |
| 2029 | 50.9 | 67.2 |
| 2030 | 49.9 | 61.9 |
| 2031 | 49.7 | 56.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Madagascar vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyMadagascar: 63.6 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMadagascar: 6.2 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMadagascar: 45 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMadagascar: 3.71% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateMadagascar: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMadagascar: 31.2 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthMadagascar: 2.45% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMadagascar: 3.97 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMadagascar: 32.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageMadagascar: 18.9 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMadagascar: 3.3% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateMadagascar: -0 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMadagascar: 0.62% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMadagascar: $111M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personMadagascar: $4 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMadagascar: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMadagascar: 22,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerMadagascar: 0.11% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMadagascar: 0.15% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMadagascar: 3 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024