According to current projections, Madagascar’s population is expected to continue to grow through the rest of the century. At a current population of about 27.69 million people, Madagascar is expected to grow to 54 million by 2050 and 99.96 million by 2100.
Madagascar is currently growing at a rate of 2.68% per year. This is driven by its high fertility rate of 4.11 births per woman.
Madagascar’s rapid population growth is putting the country under immense stress. Many people already live in poverty in Madagascar, the economy has stalled, and health care and education are struggling. Additionally, infrastructure has deteriorated, tax revenues have decreased despite the population increasing, and food insecurity is endangered.
Madagascar Population Growth
The number of births per year in Madagascar greatly overshadows the number of deaths. According to a number of estimates, the number of births per year from 2005 to 2010 was around 698,000. That is why it comes as no surprise that the largest age bracket in Madagascar belongs to children in the region of 0-14 years. They make up around 40.1% of the total population. With such a large number of births per year and a lesser number of deaths per year, the population is greatly increasing with every passing year.
Due to such a large population, providing education for everyone may prove to be a significant challenge. Nevertheless, Madagascar boasts of an 80% literacy rate. Around 88% of the male population is literate, as well as 73% of the female population. Also, these statistics are rising every year, which signifies the level of development currently happening in Madagascar, regardless of the political turmoil it has faced over the years.
Madagascar Population Projections
Madagascar's history of significant population growth is expected to continue in the years to come, although the rate should decrease somewhat. It is projected that the current growth rate of 2.69% will get down to 2% by 2045. It is forecast that the population will be 27,690,798 by 2020, 35,591,943 by 2030, and 44,367,656 by 2040.