Demographic features of the population of Madagascar include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Madagascar's population is predominantly of mixed Austronesian and East-African origin.
Since the country's independence in 1960, three general census of population and dwellings (RGPH) have been conducted by the national statistics office INSTAT under the supervision of the ministry of economy. The first census in 1975 counted 7.4 million Malagasy people, the second one in 1993 censused 12.3 million citizens and the 18 May to 10 June 2018 census numbered 25,674,186 inhabitants.
Population
The problem with population estimation in Madagascar is that data is very old and limited. The last population census was carried out in 1993, after an initial 1975 census. There was an attempt at a census in 2009, but this attempt ultimately failed due to political instability. Therefore, the demographic situation is inferred but reliability of any estimates from any source has a large margin of error. According to the total population was in , compared to only 4,084,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 43.1%, 53.8% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3.1% was 65 years or older.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision
Totalpopulation Population percentages aged 0–14 aged 15–64 aged 65+ 1950 4 084 000 1955 4 548 000 1960 5 104 000 1965 5 764 000 1970 6 549 000 1975 7 502 000 1980 8 609 000 1985 9 785 000 1990 11 281 000 1995 13 129 000 2000 15 364 000 2005 17 886 000 2010 20 714 000
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2019) (Unrevised data. Data refer to projections based on the 1993 Population Census.):
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 12 668 593 12 919 924 25 588 517 0–4 2 140 990 2 208 330 4 349 320 5–9 2 046 090 2 055 178 4 101 267 10–14 1 787 232 1 715 544 3 502 776 15–19 1 395 251 1 354 185 2 749 436 20–24 894 670 1 035 834 1 930 504 25–29 791 824 871 146 1 662 969 30–34 723 266 769 648 1 492 914 35–39 657 405 701 492 1 358 897 40–44 529 353 577 400 1 106 753 45–49 499 305 520 776 1 020 081 50–54 446 371 379 375 825 746 55–59 292 937 246 664 539 601 60–64 163 388 178 418 341 806 65-69 111 931 108 062 219 993 70-74 91 962 89 849 181 811 75-79 53 430 56 044 109 474 80-84 29 565 33 412 62 977 85+ 13 625 18 568 32 193 Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 5 974 312 5 979 052 11 953 364 15–64 6 393 768 6 634 937 13 028 705 65+ 300 513 305 935 606 448
UN population projections UN medium variant projections: YearProjected population201523,852,000202027,365,000202531,217,000203035,333,000203539,643,000204044,132,000204548,782,000205053,561,000206065,280,000
Vital statistics Registration of vital events in Madagascar is not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. PeriodLive births per yearDeaths per yearNatural change per yearCBRCDRNCTFRIMR1950192,00096,00096,00048.624.424.27.30140.11951196,00099,00098,00048.524.324.17.30138.81952201,000100,000101,00048.424.224.37.30137.41953206,000102,000104,00048.423.924.57.30135.51954211,000103,000108,00048.423.724.77.30133.41955216,000104,000111,00048.323.324.97.30131.21956221,000106,000115,00048.223.125.17.30130.01957226,000107,000119,00048.122.725.47.30128.41958231,000108,000123,00047.922.325.67.30126.71959236,000109,000127,00047.622.025.77.30124.91960240,000109,000131,00047.321.525.87.30122.91961 245,000 110,000 135,00047.021.125.97.30121.41962 250,000 111,000 139,00046.720.726.07.30119.51963 255,000 112,000 143,00046.520.426.17.31117.91964 261,000 112,000 148,00046.320.026.47.31116.41965 267,000 114,000 153,00046.119.726.57.31114.91966 275,000 115,000 160,00046.419.427.07.31113.81967 284,000 116,000 168,00046.619.027.67.30112.01968 294,000 117,000 177,00046.918.628.27.30109.81969 305,000 118,000 187,00047.218.328.97.29107.31970 317,000 119,000 197,00047.618.029.77.27105.81971 331,000 121,000 210,00048.417.730.77.25103.91972 341,000 123,000 218,00048.317.430.97.22101.61973 349,000 124,000 225,00047.917.030.97.1999.81974 356,000 125,000 231,00047.516.730.87.1598.81975 364,000 127,000 237,00047.216.530.77.1098.41976 373,000 131,000 243,00046.916.430.57.0499.71977 383,000 134,000 249,00046.716.330.36.98100.91978 392,000 137,000 255,00046.416.330.16.90102.01979 400,000 141,000 259,00046.016.229.86.81103.11980 406,000 145,000 262,00045.416.229.26.73104.21981 412,000 149,000 263,00044.816.228.66.64105.41982 422,000 153,000 269,00044.516.228.46.55106.51983 431,000 157,000 273,00044.216.128.16.48107.31984 442,000 161,000 280,00044.116.128.06.41107.41985 453,000 164,000 289,00044.016.028.16.35106.91986 463,000 167,000 296,00043.815.828.06.31105.71987 481,000 169,000 312,00044.115.528.66.29103.81988 495,000 171,000 325,00044.215.229.06.21101.41989 510,000 171,000 339,00044.214.929.46.1898.51990 529,000 172,000 357,00044.514.530.06.1695.51991 544,000 172,000 372,00044.414.030.46.1292.71992 560,000 172,000 388,00044.313.630.76.0890.01993 577,000 170,000 407,00044.313.131.36.0487.11994 595,000 171,000 424,00044.312.731.65.9984.51995 613,000 172,000 441,00044.212.431.85.9581.81996 627,000 172,000 455,00043.812.031.75.8979.01997 638,000 171,000 467,00043.211.631.65.8076.11998 645,000 169,000 476,00042.311.131.25.6873.11999 653,000 169,000 483,00041.510.830.75.5570.32000 655,000 168,000 487,00040.410.430.05.4067.82001 665,000 167,000 498,00039.810.029.85.3264.92002 673,000 168,000 505,00039.19.729.35.2362.62003 685,000 167,000 519,00038.79.429.35.1760.22004 699,000 165,000 533,00038.39.129.25.1358.02005 715,000 166,000 549,00038.08.829.25.1055.82006 731,000 164,000 567,00037.88.529.35.0653.92007 746,000 165,000 582,00037.48.329.25.0052.02008 760,000 165,000 595,00037.18.129.04.9350.22009 776,000 165,000 611,00036.77.828.94.8748.62010 783,000 168,000 616,00036.07.728.34.7647.12011 784,000 166,000 618,00035.17.427.64.6145.82012 787,000 170,000 618,00034.37.426.94.4744.62013 795,000 170,000 625,00033.77.226.54.3643.42014 801,000 171,000 630,00033.17.126.04.2542.32015 814,000 175,000 639,00032.87.025.74.1841.32016 836,000 174,000 662,00032.86.825.94.1640.32017 850,000 178,000 672,00032.56.825.74.1139.32018 862,000 181,000 681,00032.16.725.44.0438.22019 948,000 212,000 736,00033.67.526.14.2245.22020 964,000 228,000 737,00033.37.925.44.1745.22021 977,000 236,000 741,000 32.97.9 25.04.1045.22022 989,000 235,000 754,000 32.57.724.8 4.0445.12023 1,001,000 235,000 766,00032.17.524.63.9745.0 Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects, 2022
Demographic and Health Surveys
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 1992 43.3 6.13 (5.2) 34.2 3.84 (3.0) 45.1 6.69 (5.8) 1997 42.3 5.97 (5.2) 34.5 4.19 (3.8) 45.0 6.66 (5.8) 2003–04 35.3 5.2 (4.7) 28.7 3.7 (3.4) 37.2 5.7 (5.1) 2008–09 33.4 4.8 (4.2) 24.8 2.9 (2.5) 34.8 5.2 (4.5)201134.95.223.73.036.05.4201330.64.424.03.031.24.5201630.94.123.82.731.74.3202132.34.3 (3.8)27.63.2 (2.8)33.44.6 (4.1)
Fertility data as of 2008-2009 (DHS Program):
Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49Analamanga 3.4 5.7 4.3Vakinankaratra 5.3 7.4 6.0Itasy 5.5 6.7 6.9Bongolava 3.8 6.9 5.4Haute Matsiatra 6.4 7.5 6.8Amoron'i Mania 6.1 5.3 6.7Vatovavy Fitovinany 6.5 10.3 6.5Ihorombe 5.9 10.6 5.5Atsimo Atsinanana 6.3 11.4 6.0Atsinanana 3.0 9.2 4.1Analanjirofo 4.6 6.6 5.7Alaotra Mangoro 5.0 9.1 5.5Boeny 4.5 9.1 4.9Sofia 4.4 10.7 5.9Betsiboka 4.7 10.5 6.1Melaky 4.7 12.2 5.5Atsimo Andrefana 6.2 13.2 6.3Androy 6.4 10.8 5.6Anosy 5.5 8.6 5.7Menabe 4.8 11.3 5.9Diana 3.7 6.8 4.9Sava 4.5 6.3 5.0
Life expectancy PeriodLife expectancy inYearsPeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195536.31985–199049.91955–196038.81990–199552.71960–196541.21995–200056.71965–197043.52000–200560.01970–197546.02005–201062.21975–198048.12010–201564.51980–198549.7 Source: UN World Population Prospects
Ethnicity
The island of Madagascar is predominantly populated by people broadly classified as belonging to the Malagasy ethno-linguistic group. This group is further subdivided a number of ethnic groups, often into the standard eighteen. In addition, communities of Indians, Arabs and Somalis in Madagascar have long been established on the island and have assimilated into local communities to varying degrees, in some places having long since become identified "Malagasy" ethnic groups, and in others maintaining distinct identities and cultural separation. More recent arrivals include Europeans and Chinese immigrants.
Madagascar was probably uninhabited prior to Austronesian settlement in the early centuries AD. Austronesian (particularly Malay) features are most predominant in the central highlands peoples, while coastal peoples are phenotypically more East African, sometimes with minor Arab, Somali, European and Indian admixtures. The largest coastal groups are the Betsimisaraka (1,500,000) and the Tsimihety and Sakalava (700,000 each). Malagasy society has long been polarized between the politically and economically advantaged highlanders of the central plateaux and the people along the coast. For example, in the 1970s there was widespread opposition among coastal ethnics against the policy of "Malagasization" which intended to phase out the use of the French language in public life in favour of a more prominent position for the Malagasy language, whose orthography is based on the Merina dialect.
Indians in Madagascar descend mostly from traders who arrived in the newly independent nation looking for better opportunities. The majority of them came from the west coast of India known as Karana (Muslim) and Banian (Hindu). The majority speak Hindi or Gujarati, although some other Indian languages are also spoken. the younger generations speak at least three languages, including French, Gujarati and Malagasy. A large number of the Indians in Madagascar have a high level of education, particularly the younger generation.
A sizeable number of Europeans also reside in Madagascar, mostly of French descent.
Languages Malagasy is the national language, and shares the status of official language with French.
According to the 2018 census, 99.9% of the population aged 3 and more can speak Malagasy, 23.6% can speak French, 8.2% can speak English, and 0.6% can speak another language.
Religion
According to the 1993 national census, 41% of Malagasies practised Christianity and 52% practise traditional religion, which tends to emphasize links between the living and the razana (ancestors); by 2020, only 4.5% of Malagasies exclusively practised folk religions and 85% were Christian (according to the Pew Research Center). The Association of Religion Data Archives noted that in 2020, 58.1% of the population is Christian, 2.1% is Muslim and 39.2% practices traditional faiths, while 0.6% of the population is non-religious or adheres to other faiths.
Madagascar's traditional religions tend to emphasize links between the living and the dead. They believe that the dead join their ancestors in the ranks of divinity and that ancestors are intensely concerned with the fate of their living descendants. This spiritual communion is celebrated by the Merina and Betsileo reburial practice of famadihana, or "turning over the dead". In this ritual, relatives' remains are removed from the family tomb, rewrapped in new silk shrouds, and returned to the tomb following festive ceremonies in their honor. In the festivities, they eat, drink, and literally dance with the dead. After one or two days of celebrating, they shower the body with gifts and rebury it.