Destinations › Africa · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Madagascar.
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique. 587,041 sq km and 32,740,678 people, 4,828 km of coastline, tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south.
Region · AfricaPopulation · ~32,740,678Languages · Malagasy (official), French (official), with regional Malagasy dialectsEco Index · 67/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of Madagascar.
Madagascar's Malagasy culture is distinctive and strongly ancestral. Hira gasy performances of music, dance and oratory, salegy and tsapiky dance music, and the valiha tube zither are widely alive.
Where the name comes from
Madagasikara in Malagasy. The European form is often traced to Marco Polo confusing the island with Mogadishu, a name that then stuck. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: a narrow coastal plain rising to a high central plateau and mountains. Its high point is Maromokotro, 2,876 m. Source: Foiben-Taosarintanin'i Madagasikara, the national mapping agency, with the UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.
Where it starts
The furthest west Austronesia reached
Settled village communities were established here around AD 500 by people of both Southeast Asian and East African heritage. The Southeast Asian settlers brought Asian crops with them, and those crop remains are the first firm archaeological evidence of the westward Austronesian expansion across the Indian Ocean. The Malagasy language is Austronesian, most closely related to languages of Borneo, and the population carries both Austronesian and East African ancestry. This island is the furthest west that expansion reached.
How it got here
Kingdoms, then annexation
Coastal towns traded with the Swahili coast and the wider Indian Ocean from the eleventh century. The Sakalava, Betsimisaraka and Merina kingdoms formed and expanded, and by the nineteenth century the Merina kingdom had unified most of the island under its own administration, law and script. France annexed the island in 1896 and abolished the monarchy. An anti-colonial uprising in 1947 was suppressed with heavy loss of life, and independence came on 26 June 1960.
The timeline
c. AD 500
Village communities are established.
Settled village communities are established by people of both Southeast Asian and East African heritage. There is no convincing evidence of settlement before the middle of the first millennium AD. ↗
First millennium AD
Crops carried across an ocean.
Southeast Asian settlers brought Asian crops with them, and those crop remains are the first firm archaeological evidence of the westward Austronesian expansion across the Indian Ocean. ↗
Today
Malagasy.
The Malagasy language is Austronesian, most closely related to languages of Borneo, and the population carries both Austronesian and East African ancestry. It is the furthest west the Austronesian expansion reached. ↗
11th century onward
Trading towns.
Coastal towns trade with the Swahili coast, the Comoros and the wider Indian Ocean. ↗
1500s to 1700s
Kingdoms.
The Sakalava, Betsimisaraka and Merina kingdoms form and expand. ↗
1810s to 1861
The Merina kingdom.
The Merina kingdom unifies most of the island under its own administration, law and script. ↗
1896
French annexation.
France annexes the island in 1896 and abolishes the Merina monarchy, exiling the queen. A kingdom that had governed most of Madagascar for a century was dismantled within two years. ↗
1947
The uprising.
A major anti-colonial uprising is suppressed with heavy loss of life. ↗
1960
Independence.
Madagascar becomes independent on 26 June 1960, ending French rule imposed in 1896 over a kingdom that had governed most of the island. The 1947 rising against that rule was put down with heavy loss of life. ↗
Terrestrial protected areas covered about 7.5% of land in 2022 and marine protected areas under 1% of territorial waters in 2021 (World Bank), managed through a network of national parks. Enforcement is severely strained, with illegal rosewood logging and slash-and-burn clearance continuing inside and around reserves. Protection on paper substantially outpaces protection on the ground.
Is wild Madagascar protected? 12.8% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Madagascar?
Forest cover21.3%
Terrestrial protected area7.5%
Marine protected area0.9%
3191 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Recorded in Madagascar and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Lemurs (over 100 species)
Le
Fossa
Fo
Tenrecs
Te
Six of the world's eight baobab species
Si
The watchlist
ThreatenedIndri (Indri indri)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedRayed Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedVitex lastelleiCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedAloe mandrarensisCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedWhite Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedDiademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedTaxonomy (Hapalemur aureus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedRuffed Lemur (Varecia variegata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Madagascar in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Madagascar. GBIF holds 84 verified occurrence records.
Rayed Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Madagascar. GBIF holds 16 verified occurrence records.
Vitex lastellei
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Madagascar. GBIF holds 12 verified occurrence records.
Aloe mandrarensis
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Madagascar. GBIF holds 9 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Madagascar filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Botanical garden in Analamanga, mapped and named in the open record for Madagascar. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Madagascar.
Madagascar's eastern rainforests are among the wettest places in the region, so physical freshwater is abundant in much of the island, yet access is poor. The World Bank and JMP record only 53.4% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020. The semi-arid south suffers recurrent drought that has driven acute food and water crises.
Does Madagascar have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
22.1% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: Rivers of the eastern rainforests, such as around Masoala.
How much fresh water does Madagascar have, per person?
11,072 m³
Madagascar
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Madagascar withdraws about 13,458 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 11.3% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as low water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 96%, homes and towns 3%, industry 1%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 0.9% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Where does the sewage go?
12.8%
of people have safely managed sanitation
12.8% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Madagascar doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Wet Nov–Mar, dry Apr–Oct; the east coast is always humid.
Nearshore
Protected water
0.9% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Rivers of the eastern rainforests, such as around Masoala..
The record
Measured
Madagascar's eastern rainforests are among the wettest places in the region, so physical freshwater is abundant in much of the island, yet access is poor. The World Bank and JMP record only 53.4% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020.
Sea protected
0.9%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
3191 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
Rivers of the eastern rainforests, such as around Masoala..
Is the tap water safe in Madagascar?
22.1% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 11,072 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 0 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 4.0% of what Madagascar renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Madagascar? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Madagascar actually have?
Nature renews about 11,072 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Madagascar 164 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Farming supports most Malagasy households, with rice grown across the island alongside cassava, maize, beans and leafy greens. The economy rests on smallholder agriculture, though it imports rice in deficit years and the south faces chronic food insecurity. Vanilla, cloves and lychees are major cash and export crops.
Where does the food in Madagascar come from?
18.4% imported
about US$962m a year
On the plate: Rice (vary), cassava, romazava stew, ravitoto, breds leafy greens, vanilla.
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Cassava51%
Romazava stew33%
Ravitoto24%
Breds leafy greens15%
2 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$962m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 18.4% of everything Madagascar buys in from abroad is food, roughly 2 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 21.7% of the economy and 70.3% of the land is agricultural, of which 5.2% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Madagascar? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined40%
Diabetes4.6%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 17%.
Can Madagascar feed itself?
5.2%
Arable land
70.3%
Agricultural land
11,829,429
Farmers
7,413,150
Arable acres
21.7%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Main rice harvest roughly April to June; vanilla harvested around June to August; lychees May to July.
Feeding itself
Farming supports most Malagasy households, with rice grown across the island alongside cassava, maize, beans and leafy greens. The economy rests on smallholder agriculture, though it imports rice in deficit years and the south faces chronic food insecurity.
Certification
FiBL records about 103,817 hectares of certified organic farmland, roughly 0.3% of agricultural land in 2020. Much of this is export-oriented, covering vanilla, cocoa and essential oils.
Water for crops
Madagascar's eastern rainforests are among the wettest places in the region, so physical freshwater is abundant in much of the island, yet access is poor. The World Bank and JMP record only 53.4% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Madagascar, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 70.3% of the country is agricultural land and 5.2% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Madagascar are rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes and bananas (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Ankilizato Market, Fish Market, Ifanadiana Market, Market (OPCI). Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Madagascar is one of the lowest carbon emitters on Earth at roughly 0.13 tonnes of CO2 per person, a reflection of very low energy use and limited electrification rather than a clean power achievement. Its grid is close to 45 per cent renewable, led by hydropower at about 31 per cent, with the rest largely diesel and other thermal generation. The country has a climate pledge and large untapped hydro and solar potential, but energy access and investment remain low. Ultra low emissions lift the score, while a half fossil grid holds it back from the top band.
What powers Madagascar?
Renewable 42.4%Fossil 57.6%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
0.15 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
0.15 tonnes
The grid
Madagascar is one of the lowest carbon emitters on Earth at roughly 0.15 tonnes of CO2 per person, a reflection of very low energy use and limited electrification rather than a clean power achievement. Its grid is close to 45 per cent renewable, led by hydropower at about 31 per cent, with the rest largely diesel and other thermal generation.
Pollution
Madagascar banned the manufacture, import and sale of thin plastic bags by decree in 2015, though enforcement and litter management remain patchy. Annual mean PM2.5 was about 20.6 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 (IQAir), moderate and driven partly by biomass burning and cooking fires.
Water stress
Madagascar's eastern rainforests are among the wettest places in the region, so physical freshwater is abundant in much of the island, yet access is poor. The World Bank and JMP record only 53.4% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.65%
2IndustryIllegal rosewood and hardwood logging, wildlife trafficking and unregulated sapphire mining; avoid buying rosewood or tortoiseshell..named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.20.6
4On the recordMadagascar banned the manufacture, import and sale of thin plastic bags by decree in 2015, though enforcement and litter management remain patchy.
What has Madagascar promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today34.1% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target12.8% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target1.4% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 34.1% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 65.9% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year0.15 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy3.21 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.52 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy1.81 t CO2e
London return, economy1.64 t CO2e
Paris return, economy1.58 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Madagascar emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Madagascar.
Data centres
1
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
42.4 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Madagascar?
Most of the power behind a machine here is still burned.
Renewable 42.4%Fossil 57.6%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 34.1% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Madagascar has 1 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Antananarivo (1), alongside 1 internet exchange (MGIX). Named sites include Bâtiment Sirius.
Where the cables land. 4 landing points · Fort Dauphin, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
99% residents to 1% visitors across a year. 486,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 32,740,678 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Madagascar
87k
Visitors a year
0.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Madagascar?· for every $100 Madagascar earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 1991 peak
$ 114The worst year on the IMF record. Madagascar owed $114 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 1991signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 49What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 48The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $48 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Madagascar earns in a year, it owes $49 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Madagascar?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 486,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 32,740,678 residents, one visitor a year for every 67 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Madagascar is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is 18.4% of everything Madagascar imports (2024, World Bank), so a large part of every restaurant bill is paid to a supplier abroad. Eating what the land here actually grows, rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, maize, potatoes, keeps that money with the grower.
sails in
4
The power
65.9% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away
5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power mostly leave Madagascar. Choosing locally grown food is the part of that a visitor can actually control.
less than you think
6
Pay the bank first
Madagascar owes $49 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$49 per $100
7
No plan B
25.4% of everything Madagascar sells abroad is nickel (2023, UN Comtrade). One market moving takes the whole board with it.
25.4% one export
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 7.8% of everything Madagascar makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
7.8% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Los Angeles a return economy seat is 3.21 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.21 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$21 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$21bn
GDPUS$19.6bn
Agriculture, share of GDP21.7%
Visitors a year87,100
Visitors per resident0
Residents~32,740,678
Agriculture
Farming is 21.7% of the economy. Farming supports most Malagasy households, with rice grown across the island alongside cassava, maize, beans and leafy greens.
Natural materials
Madagascar has a living natural-fibre tradition of raffia, wild landibe silk, cotton and sisal, used in the lamba wraps worn across the island and in mats and baskets. Weaving and plaiting remain everyday village skills.
Energy
Madagascar is one of the lowest carbon emitters on Earth at roughly 0.15 tonnes of CO2 per person, a reflection of very low energy use and limited electrification rather than a clean power achievement. Its grid is close to 45 per cent renewable, led by hydropower at about 31 per cent, with the rest largely diesel and other thermal generation.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Madagascar?
By rooms · company records and press.
Masoala Forest Lodge · ~7 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
2015282k
2016333k
2017285k
2018360k
2019486k
202087k
International tourism receipts run at about US$0.20 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 7.8% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, maize and potatoes, over an imported menu. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Shared taxi-brousse minibuses on slow, rough roads; domestic flights save days; travel is slow and seasonal.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
A biologically unique island where the great majority of plants and animals live nowhere else, set against severe deforestation, deep poverty and fragile water and food security.
Best time: Dry season.
Getting around
Shared taxi-brousse minibuses on slow, rough roads; domestic flights save days; travel is slow and seasonal.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, maize and potatoes. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash-heavy; MGA. Small notes go a long way.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Masoala Forest Lodge
.
Who owns the place to stay
Masoala Forest LodgeIndependent · 7 rooms
The one property listed here does not publish who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Madagascar.
How well is Madagascar actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Madagascar scores 35 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Madagascar run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 27 of 100
Control of corruption scores 27.4 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is below the halfway mark of governments measured.
27
Freedom and rights, scored 44 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 44.2 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
44
Government effectiveness, scored 35 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 34.6 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated below average, so a pledge on paper is not the same as a pledge kept.
35
Income equality, scored 37 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 36.8 (2021, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Below 40 is the level usually treated as manageable, and Madagascar sits inside it.
37
LGBTQ+ status: LowSolo female travel: Take care74.7% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Illegal rosewood and hardwood logging, wildlife trafficking and unregulated sapphire mining; avoid buying rosewood or tortoiseshell.
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 3.0% of GDP and 18.0% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 34.1% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2019 to 2023).
Made in Madagascar.
Madagascar has a living natural-fibre tradition of raffia, wild landibe silk, cotton and sisal, used in the lamba wraps worn across the island and in mats and baskets. Weaving and plaiting remain everyday village skills. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Madagascar actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Madagascar sells the world is nickel, 25.4% of all exports in 2023 (about US$0.83 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are coffee, tea and spices at 16.4%, knitted clothing at 7.8%, ores, slag and ash at 7.7%, woven clothing at 7.5%.
Made now · natural materials
Madagascar has a living natural-fibre tradition of raffia
Worked in Madagascar from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Wild landibe silk
Worked in Madagascar from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Cotton
Worked in Madagascar from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Sisal
Worked in Madagascar from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Used in the lamba wraps worn across the island
Worked in Madagascar from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
In mats
Worked in Madagascar from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 20.7% of imports
Mineral fuels and oils
Madagascar imported US$1.00 billion of mineral fuels and oils in 2023, 20.7% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 8.3% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Madagascar imported US$0.40 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 8.3% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 5.6% of imports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Madagascar imported US$0.27 billion of electrical machinery and electronics in 2023, 5.6% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 5.5% of imports
Cereals
Madagascar imported US$0.27 billion of cereals in 2023, 5.5% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Madagascar produces about US$20 billion a year, which is roughly US$599 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 21.7% of that, while food is 18.4% of everything the country imports. With 5.2% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Madagascar, still practised rather than archived.
Dance
A living tradition of Madagascar, still practised rather than archived.
Oratory
A living tradition of Madagascar, still practised rather than archived.
Salegy
A living tradition of Madagascar, still practised rather than archived.
Tsapiky dance musicA living tradition of Madagascar, still practised rather than archived.
Valiha tube zitherA living tradition of Madagascar, still practised rather than archived.
Does Madagascar protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Madagascar's Malagasy culture is distinctive and strongly ancestral. Hira gasy performances of music, dance and oratory, salegy and tsapiky dance music, and the valiha tube zither are widely alive. Ancestor veneration through the razana is central, expressed in the famadihana turning of the bones ceremony and observed through fady ancestral taboos.
Who it belongs to. Malagasy culture is a living blend of Austronesian and African roots, expressed in ancestral customs, famadihana rites and 18 recognised ethnic groups. Community-based ecotourism around parks such as Andasibe and Ranomafana channels some guiding and park income to villages. Deep poverty means benefits are fragile and unevenly shared.
Only here. Lemurs, a whole primate lineage that lives in the wild only in Madagascar..
Three futures for Madagascar, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Photography Museum Madagascar (Antananarivo), Pirates Museum Antananarivo (Antananarivo), Tulé'art Recycling Museum (Toliara), Culture Center (Antsirabe), Fort Flacourt Museum Entrance (Tolanaro). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Maro Madagascar, Point de vente produits Artisanaux.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
-7%
Forest cover
1995: 23 % → 2023: 21.3 %
-50%
Renewable electricity
2000: 68.5 % → 2021: 34.1 %
+45%
CO2 per person
1995: 0.101 t → 2024: 0.146 t
-24%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 115 k → 2020: 87 k
+156%
Protected land
2013: 5 % → 2025: 12.8 %
-12%
Farm workforce
1995: 78.8 % → 2025: 69.2 %
+250%
Protected sea
2013: 0.4 % → 2025: 1.4 %
+12%
Agricultural land
1995: 62.7 % → 2023: 70.3 %
+40%
Urban population
1995: 23.5 % → 2025: 32.9 %
+26%
Air pollution
1995: 9.8 µg/m³ → 2023: 12.4 µg/m³
-54%
Fresh water per person
1995: 23983.6 m³ → 2022: 11072 m³
+169%
Adult overweight
1995: 6.3 % → 2022: 17 %
+286%
Electricity access
1995: 11 % → 2024: 42.5 %
+119%
GDP per person
1995: 273 → 2025: 599
+133%
Population
1995: 14051 k → 2025: 32741 k
-3%
Renewable energy use
1995: 86.1 % → 2022: 83.1 %
+25%
Energy per person
1995: 243.8 kg → 2023: 304.4 kg
+168%
Protected area, total
2013: 1.9 % → 2025: 5.1 %
+16%
Life expectancy
1995: 54.8 yrs → 2024: 63.8 yrs
+23%
Cereal yield
1995: 1968 ha → 2023: 2426 ha
+68%
Fertiliser use
1995: 4.33 ha → 2023: 7.28 ha
-12%
Rural population
1995: 76.5 % → 2025: 67.1 %
+120%
Water productivity
1995: 0.45 $/m3 → 2022: 0.99 $/m3
-14%
Health spending
2000: 3.99 % → 2023: 3.43 %
-7%
Forest area
1995: 133621 km2 → 2023: 123902 km2
+98%
Electric power use
1995: 40.4 kWh → 2023: 80.1 kWh
+3%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 24 e → 2023: 24.8 e
+141%
Emissions: Building
1990: 1.74 e → 2023: 4.2 e
+632%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 0.19 e → 2023: 1.39 e
+219%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 2.52 e → 2023: 8.04 e
+3000%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 0.03 e → 2023: 0.93 e
+6400%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 0.01 e → 2023: 0.65 e
+183%
Emissions: Transportation
1990: 0.54 e → 2023: 1.53 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 23.0% to 21.3% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 68.5% to 34.1% across 21 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.1 t to 0.1 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 115k to 87k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 5.0% to 12.8% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 78.8% to 69.2% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 0.4% to 1.4% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 62.7% to 70.3% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 23.5% to 32.9% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 9.8 µg/m³ to 12.4 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 23983.6 m³ to 11072.0 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 6.3% to 17.0% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 11.0% to 42.5% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 273 to 599 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 14051k to 32741k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 86.1% to 83.1% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 243.8 kg to 304.43 kg across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 1.9% to 5.1% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 54.84 yrs to 63.84 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1968 kg/ha to 2426 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 4.33 kg/ha to 7.28 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 76.52% to 67.1% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 0.45 $/m3 to 0.99 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 3.99% to 3.43% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 133621 km2 to 123902 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 40.35 kWh to 80.07 kWh across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 24.04 to 24.83 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 1.74 to 4.2 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 0.19 to 1.39 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 2.52 to 8.04 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 0.03 to 0.93 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 0.01 to 0.65 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 0.54 to 1.53 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, recycling at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Madagascar already shows it can do this: wildlife scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift recycling
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Madagascar's record. There is no reliable national municipal recycling rate and formal collection systems are minimal, especially outside Antananarivo. Recovery is largely informal, with pickers salvaging metal and plastic. Scored from documented reality rather than a published rate. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift conservation
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Madagascar's record. Terrestrial protected areas covered about 7.5% of land in 2022 and marine protected areas under 1% of territorial waters in 2021 (World Bank), managed through a network of national parks. Enforcement is severely strained, with illegal rosewood logging and slash-and-burn clearance continuing inside and around reserves. Protection on paper substantially outpaces protection on the ground. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift organic farming
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Madagascar's record. FiBL records about 103,817 hectares of certified organic farmland, roughly 0.3% of agricultural land in 2020. Much of this is export-oriented, covering vanilla, cocoa and essential oils. Most smallholder farming is low-input but uncertified. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Madagascar.
Who is in charge of Madagascar now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo
Prime Minister
Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo is the head of government of Madagascar, in office since 22 October 2025. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 44.2 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 27.4 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 57.7 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 41.8 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 43.1 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Herintsalama RajaonariveloPrime Minister
Next electionNovember 2028
Last election16 November 2023
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1992
Government typesemi-presidential republic
Madagascar national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
✕ far behind
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. Madagascar currently protects 7.5% of its land, which is 25% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
✕ far behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. Madagascar currently protects 0.9% of its territorial waters, which is 3% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
Madagascar has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
in force, weakly enforced
2015 decree banning thin plastic bags, with weak enforcement..
Grid, as it stands
35% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About Madagascar.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Madagascar sustainable?
Madagascar scores 67 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. A biologically unique island where the great majority of plants and animals live nowhere else, set against severe deforestation, deep poverty and fragile water and food security.
Is the water in Madagascar safe and plentiful?
Madagascar's eastern rainforests are among the wettest places in the region, so physical freshwater is abundant in much of the island, yet access is poor. The World Bank and JMP record only 53.4% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020. The semi-arid south suffers recurrent drought that has driven acute food and water crises.
Can Madagascar feed itself?
Farming supports most Malagasy households, with rice grown across the island alongside cassava, maize, beans and leafy greens. The economy rests on smallholder agriculture, though it imports rice in deficit years and the south faces chronic food insecurity. Vanilla, cloves and lychees are major cash and export crops.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Madagascar?
The everyday diet centres on rice served with breds (leafy greens), beans, cassava and vegetables, making plant-based eating the default for many households. Zebu beef is prized but expensive, so meat is often occasional. Fresh produce is cheap and widely sold in markets.
How much of Madagascar is actually protected?
Terrestrial protected areas covered about 7.5% of land in 2022 and marine protected areas under 1% of territorial waters in 2021 (World Bank), managed through a network of national parks. Enforcement is severely strained, with illegal rosewood logging and slash-and-burn clearance continuing inside and around reserves. Protection on paper substantially outpaces protection on the ground.
What wildlife is left in Madagascar?
Madagascar is one of the planet's top biodiversity priorities, with more than 80% of its roughly 14,883 plant species found nowhere else and over 100 lemur species all endemic. Reptiles show over 90% endemism and the island has its own carnivores such as the fossa. It is also one of the most threatened biotas on Earth, with around 90% of lemur species at risk of extinction.
Is Madagascar on clean energy?
Madagascar is one of the lowest carbon emitters on Earth at roughly 0.15 tonnes of CO2 per person, a reflection of very low energy use and limited electrification rather than a clean power achievement. Its grid is close to 45 per cent renewable, led by hydropower at about 31 per cent, with the rest largely diesel and other thermal generation. The country has a climate pledge and large untapped hydro and solar potential, but energy access and investment remain low.
How polluted is Madagascar?
Madagascar banned the manufacture, import and sale of thin plastic bags by decree in 2015, though enforcement and litter management remain patchy. Annual mean PM2.5 was about 20.6 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 (IQAir), moderate and driven partly by biomass burning and cooking fires. Open dumping and burning of waste are common.
Does recycling work in Madagascar?
There is no reliable national municipal recycling rate and formal collection systems are minimal, especially outside Antananarivo. Recovery is largely informal, with pickers salvaging metal and plastic. Scored from documented reality rather than a published rate.
Is the farming in Madagascar organic?
FiBL records about 103,817 hectares of certified organic farmland, roughly 0.3% of agricultural land in 2020. Much of this is export-oriented, covering vanilla, cocoa and essential oils. Most smallholder farming is low-input but uncertified.
Are there natural materials and craft in Madagascar?
Madagascar has a living natural-fibre tradition of raffia, wild landibe silk, cotton and sisal, used in the lamba wraps worn across the island and in mats and baskets. Weaving and plaiting remain everyday village skills. Single-use plastic has spread, but natural materials still dominate craft production.
Is there living culture in Madagascar?
Malagasy culture is a living blend of Austronesian and African roots, expressed in ancestral customs, famadihana rites and 18 recognised ethnic groups. Community-based ecotourism around parks such as Andasibe and Ranomafana channels some guiding and park income to villages. Deep poverty means benefits are fragile and unevenly shared.
What heritage does Madagascar keep alive?
Madagascar's Malagasy culture is distinctive and strongly ancestral. Hira gasy performances of music, dance and oratory, salegy and tsapiky dance music, and the valiha tube zither are widely alive. Ancestor veneration through the razana is central, expressed in the famadihana turning of the bones ceremony and observed through fady ancestral taboos.
So is Madagascar actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: land protected at 12.8% against a 30% mark, sea protected at 1.4% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 34.1% against a 100% mark.
Madagascar sits 43 of 77 at 67/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Madagascar particularly good at?
✓Heritage, scored 5/5. Madagascar's Malagasy culture is distinctive and strongly ancestral. Hira gasy performances of music, dance and oratory, salegy and tsapiky dance music, and the valiha tube zither are widely alive. Ancestor veneration through the razana is central, expressed in the famadihana turning of the bones ceremony and observed through fady ancestral taboos. Around eighteen ethnic groups sustain these living traditions across the island.
✓Wildlife, scored 5/5. Madagascar is one of the planet's top biodiversity priorities, with more than 80% of its roughly 14,883 plant species found nowhere else and over 100 lemur species all endemic. Reptiles show over 90% endemism and the island has its own carnivores such as the fossa. It is also one of the most threatened biotas on Earth, with around 90% of lemur species at risk of extinction.
✓Culture, scored 4/5. Malagasy culture is a living blend of Austronesian and African roots, expressed in ancestral customs, famadihana rites and 18 recognised ethnic groups. Community-based ecotourism around parks such as Andasibe and Ranomafana channels some guiding and park income to villages. Deep poverty means benefits are fragile and unevenly shared.
Where does Madagascar score worst?
✕Organic farming, scored 2/5. FiBL records about 103,817 hectares of certified organic farmland, roughly 0.3% of agricultural land in 2020. Much of this is export-oriented, covering vanilla, cocoa and essential oils. Most smallholder farming is low-input but uncertified.
✕Water, scored 2/5. Madagascar's eastern rainforests are among the wettest places in the region, so physical freshwater is abundant in much of the island, yet access is poor. The World Bank and JMP record only 53.4% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020. The semi-arid south suffers recurrent drought that has driven acute food and water crises.
✕Recycling, scored 1/5. There is no reliable national municipal recycling rate and formal collection systems are minimal, especially outside Antananarivo. Recovery is largely informal, with pickers salvaging metal and plastic. Scored from documented reality rather than a published rate.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
TanzaniaScored on the same twelve pillars as Madagascar.75
EthiopiaScored on the same twelve pillars as Madagascar.72
UgandaScored on the same twelve pillars as Madagascar.70
EgyptScored on the same twelve pillars as Madagascar.60
BotswanaScored on the same twelve pillars as Madagascar.58
SeychellesScored on the same twelve pillars as Madagascar.57
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 4/5
Madagascar is one of the lowest carbon emitters on Earth at roughly 0.15 tonnes of CO2 per person, a reflection of very low energy use and limited electrification rather than a clean power achievement. Its grid is close to 45 per cent renewable, led by hydropower at about 31 per cent, with the rest largely diesel and other thermal generation.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Madagascar's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 4/5
Farming supports most Malagasy households, with rice grown across the island alongside cassava, maize, beans and leafy greens. The economy rests on smallholder agriculture, though it imports rice in deficit years and the south faces chronic food insecurity.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Madagascar's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 5/5
Madagascar's Malagasy culture is distinctive and strongly ancestral. Hira gasy performances of music, dance and oratory, salegy and tsapiky dance music, and the valiha tube zither are widely alive.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Madagascar's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Madagascar Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Madagascar, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
34.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
41.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
57.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
44.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
30.1 / 100 · 173 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 173 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
28.0 / 100 · 174 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 174 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
26.4 / 100 · 154 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 154 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
31.2 / 100 · 167 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 167 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
24.3 / 100 · 143 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 143 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
55.2 / 100 · 83 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 83 of 131 countries assessed.
How Madagascar Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
