This report examines Madagascar’s public agricultural expenditure from 2013 to 2022 and incorporates recent policy changes as of mid-2024. Its findings and recommendations aim to help the government allocate scarce public resources more effectively for better targeting and outcomes. The study...

Globally, climate change is an important driver of mobility. Climate change will increase mobility in Madagascar. Given the climate change forecasts and population growth, it is expected that the number of climate migrants will increase in Madagascar. Currently, there is insufficient data to...

The Country Opinion Survey in Madagascar assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in better understanding how stakeholders in Madagascar perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private...

"Trade Policy Reviews" analyse the trade policies and practices of each member of the WTO. The reviews consist of three parts: an independent report by the WTO Secretariat, a report by the government, and the concluding remarks by the Chair of the WTO's Trade Policy Review Body. The opening...

The standard global poverty estimation method - relying on household survey data and consumer price index (CPI) - based inflation - suggests a sharp decline in Madagascar's international poverty rate (measured at 3 dollars per day in PPP terms) between 2012 and 2021. This paper, however, applies...

The Malagasy government aims for self-sufficiency in rice production by 2027, targeting 6 million tons in 2024 and 11 million tons by 2030. Despite recent production increases, challenges such as competition from cheaper imports, low productivity, and climate change persist. This paper analyzes...

This paper highlights the role of teacher training in improving educational outcomes in Madagascar. With a low and stagnating Human Capital Index of 0.39 and high learning poverty rates, economic growth is hindered by an inadequately skilled workforce. This paper finds that doubling the share of...

Madagascar faces significant challenges in electricity access, with only 36 percent of the population connected. The state-owned utility, JIRAMA, struggles with inefficient production, high transmission and distribution losses, and tariffs below recovery costs. These issues create a substantial...

Between 2019 and 2022, Madagascar experienced an acute drought that triggered a chronic food security crisis, drawing justified attention to its nutritional and poverty-related impacts. However, local communities also perceived this period as one of social upheaval, where risks particularly for...

Real GDP growth stabilized at 4.2 percent in 2024. Led by food and energy prices, year-on-year inflation persisted, rising from 7.3 percent in March 2024 to 8.6 percent in December 2024 as deteriorating road and electricity infrastructure continued to weigh on transportation and production...

This paper evaluates the impact of the Café Lumière project launched by the NGO Électriciens sans frontières to address the lack of reliable electricity access in rural Madagascar. The project integrates solar-powered micro-grids and energy platforms to provide affordable electricity and...

This study examines the crucial relationship between Madagascar's protected areas and tourism, estimating the economic impact on these sites and their surrounding communities. It highlights the lack of data on the economic implications of nature-based tourism, which hinders the ability of...

Madagascar's economy is recovering but remains uneven. Growth is estimated at 4.2 percent in 2024. Several sectors in the economy have yet to return to their pre-2020 output levels. The services sector has driven growth on the supply side, especially tourism-related sectors and...

Corporate social responsibility has become an important component in assuring business performance and sustainability, and its implication is evident specifically in developing nations. This investigation estimated the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employees' performance...

This report provides an account of the evolution of poverty and living conditions in the decade 2012- 2022. It finds that at the national level monetary poverty essentially stagnated while urban poverty, admittedly a much smaller in absolute and relative terms, dramatically increased. In 2022,...

This paper discusses the economic approach to deterring foreign exchange violations in the context of law enforcement in Madagascar. In order to find an optimal level of monetary sanction, the setting of the fine rate applied is based on one or more well-defined criteria such as the seriousness...

Real GDP growth stalled at 3.8 percent in 2023, dampened by the deterioration of global economic prospects and the negative effect of electoral uncertainty on investment. After peaking in March 2023, inflationary pressures have eased. Led by a new presidential mandate, the authorities are...

Because excessive specialization can be risky, diversification matters for sustainable development. A case study of Madagascar, this paper begins by briefly discussing economic and institutional diversification and presenting a simple model of production possibilities to illuminate the possible...

The Madagascar Urbanization Review aims to: - Contribute to the 2019 National Policy for Urban Development (Politique National de Developpement Urbain), the main policy document outlining the priorities for cities in Madagascar. - Serve as a diagnostic tool to identify the key barriers to...

This paper discusses Republic of Madagascar's Fourth Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Requests for a Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria and Modification of Performance Criteria. Madagascar's growth has decelerated, and inflation remains high. Program...

Food insecurity dramatically increased in Madagascar over the last 10 years, hampering human development. Using most recent data and surveys conducted by UN Agencies and local authorities, this paper analyzes the root causes of food insecurity in Madagascar related to demographic...

This chapter investigates the link between informality and growth in Madagascar and aims for a better understanding of the informal sector. It provides an analysis of the characteristics of informal production units and informal employment. Findings suggest that informality is a key feature of...

The paper examines Madagascar's education, health, and social assistance spending and outcomes. Government spending on education is relatively low compared to peers, and the quality of education has deteriorated. The paper recommends allocating more resources to the sector, ensuring transparent...

This Selected Issues paper takes stock of developments in education, health, and social assistance and offers policy options in the Republic of Madagascar. The quality of education in Madagascar is falling with low school completion rates, a high share of untrained teachers, and declining test...

This paper focuses on Republic of Madagascar's 2022 Article IV Consultation, Third Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, and Requests for a Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria and Modification of Performance Criteria. Two years of pandemic and multiple climate shocks...

Background Previous studies have argued that the relationship between health expenditures and health outcomes is more significant among the poor than the non-poor. However, public spending alone does not improve health status. Quality of governance is considered not only as an important...

Vaccinations are a cost-effective tool to prevent child mortality and morbidity; however, their access and take-up remain low in developing countries. We analyze the effects on child vaccinations of a large-scale community-based health worker program that aimed to reach remote areas distant from...

This thematic note is part of a broader mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, which intends to illustrate the key gender gaps in the country and shed light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due...

This thematic note is part of a broader mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, which intends to illustrate the key gender gaps in the country and shed light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due...

This thematic note is part of a broader mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, which intends to illustrate the key gender gaps in the country and shed light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due...

This thematic note is part of a broader mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, which intends to illustrate the key gender gaps in the country and shed light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due...

This Overview presents the findings from the mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, illustrating the key gender gaps in the country and shedding light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due to the...

Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiencies, is a serious public health issue affecting approximately 2 billion people worldwide. Identifying areas with high prevalence of hidden hunger is crucial for targeted interventions and effective resource allocation. However, conventional methods such...