Falling growth forecast
If the American announcements on customs duties materialize, un taux de 47 % s’appliquera à partir du 8 juillet sur les produits en provenance de Madagascar. On this basis, the Malagasy state estimates a 42% drop in exports of textile products to the United States and a 12% drop in vanilla exports., 70% of which go to the country of Donald Trump. Therefore the forecast of the growth rate for 2025, announced at 5%, has been revised downward, at 4,5 %.
Emirates will promote the Madagascar destination
The Malagasy Ministry of Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding with the company Emirates at the end of April for the implementation of promotional campaigns for the Madagascar destination.. Fly Emirates, which has been happening since last year in Antananarivo, will notably organize visits to introduce Madagascar to tourism professionals. The company will also mobilize its network of travel agencies and tour operators to stimulate demand for the destination..
Exports in decline
An economic report from the central bank of Madagascar puts it at 11,9% drop in exports over one year. This decline is mainly explained by that of vanilla sales abroad., whose revenues fell by 45% in the 1st quarter of 2025. Clove exports are also falling in value, half over one year, due to bad weather conditions. According to the central bank, cobalt is the only major export product to record an increase, 28% over one year.
French airships in the Malagasy sky ?
When he came to Madagascar, end of April, for the IOC summit, Emmanuel Macron also led a delegation of business leaders. It included Flying Whales Services in its ranks, a French company which is developing a transport solution by dirigible aircraft. The company has signed an agreement with the Malagasy government for the use of its LCA60T model in the Big Island., capable of carrying 60 tonnes of goods thanks to its balloon filled with 180,000 m3 of helium. The airship transport solution is particularly suitable for countries like Madagascar, whose transport infrastructure is underdeveloped and which has many isolated areas which struggle to sell their products.
Failing teaching costs three growth points
According to the International Monetary Fund, Madagascar could win between 2,5 et 3,1 point of annual growth by increasing the share of qualified teachers in primary schools from 15% to 30%. The level of Malagasy teachers is, indeed, notoriously weak. These are often people without qualifications, recruited and paid by parent-teacher associations to compensate for the shortage of civil servants, especially in rural areas. More competent teachers would allow, according to the IMF, to increase the chances of students completing their education and taking up more productive jobs.
Human Development Index : in the depths of the ranking
183rd out of 193 : this is the unenviable place of Madagascar in the latest ranking of the human development index (IDH), based on data from 2023. Established by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the HDI measures long-term progress in life expectancy, level of education and standard of living. However, the Big Island has progressed in a quarter of a century, according to UNDP : of 0,436 in 1999, his HDI went to 0,487 in 2023. But gross national income per capita fell by 1,1 %.
Press freedom is in decline
Madagascar went from 100th to 113th place in one year, in 180 countries, in the press freedom ranking established by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and published at the beginning of May. “Madagascar has a highly polarized media landscape, politicized and considerably affected by corruption”, estimates RSF, which also points out the precariousness of the country's press companies. The Ministry of Communication and Culture downplayed this regression by emphasizing that press freedom was in decline in six out of ten countries..
