Last update: December 18, 2024

This page contains information about some of the data available in the FEWS NET Data Explorer (FDE) for Madagascar. This is not a comprehensive guide.

For information about using the filters and fields for specific domains in the FDE, see Choose a Data Domain.

Summary table

Country Context

Statistical reporting units

Madagascar usually uses administrative units as their statistical reporting units.

After Madagascar’s independence in 1960, the country’s new constitution of 1992 directed that administrative entities would be created by law, but did not specify what specific structures those should be. Since then, a number of different administrative hierarchies have been instituted, demolished, replaced, and recreated in various forms.

In more recent times, in 2004 and 2007, Madagascar eliminated its relatively long-standing (since 1959) first-level Admin 1 units, the Province, and elevated the former Admin 2-level units, the Region to Admin 1 status. As of 2010¹ the Province was re-instituted as the first-level administrative structure (Admin 1).

The current administrative hierarchy is²:

• Admin 1: Province

• Admin 2: Prefecture or Region

• Admin 3: District

• Admin 4: Arrondissement Administratif.

Each prefecture has between 2 and 13 districts, for a total of either 114 or 119, if Antananarivo’s six districts are counted as 1 (Antananarivo Renivohitra) or 6 (FEWS NET maps six districts in Antananarivo, I-VI). The names and hierarchical relationships of the districts are available in the FDE.

Most statistical data is presented at one of the first three Admin levels.

Crop Data

Explore our crop data.

View our documentation on using the Crop Domain.

For reasons discussed below, retrieved crop statistics for Madagascar are of un-even temporal and spatial coverage. They suffer from many gaps in the time-series, frequent shifts in the reporting unit-level, and an inconsistent process for compiling, archiving and distributing them.

Crop estimate data sources

There is no central database of crop statistics for Madagascar, nor for most other domain data of interest for food security purposes. Most annual statistics are, and have been, published in annual reports over the years. It also appears that in some years, no annual reports have been published for these datasets.

The best location to find publications which contain annual statistics for Madagascar is at the web site of the Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT). The main menu displays a number of different choices, among which, the Publications et Statistiques selection is of most interest. Under that menu item, selecting the menu choice, Publications Sectorielles - Agriculture (Elevage, agriculture, pêche), will present a collection of publications, many going back more than 20 years, which contain data and/or information for the agricultural domain.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Elevage is another source of potentially important information about the history of the country’s food production, and especially the Annuaire des Statistiques Agricoles publication series, which unfortunately no longer exists. Monographies for a number of Admin 1 crop reporting units in the 2003 and 2004 period provide a consistent source of historic crop production information for the late 1990s period, but these reports were not followed up after that period. Note that this website is regularly out of service, so check back at a later time if you receive an error message when accessing it.

The defunct FAO CountryStat website was an important source for crop statistics data for the country, but that FAO initiative no longer functions.

Year and season definitions

Cropping year definition

Like other Southern Africa countries, the annual cropping year begins late in the Gregorian year and finishes early in the following year. An annual cropping year is generally referred to as beginning in November of one year and finishing in late April of the next year.

The annual cropping year is most often referred to using a two-year notation, for example, the 2022/2023 year. This may also be referred to as 2023, or an end-aligned year in the FEWS NET seasonal terminology.

Season definition

• Main season: November 1 to April 30

• Dry/winter season: Around May 1 to late September or October

Dominant crop production systems

Although the agricultural production systems in Madagascar may be evolving towards a distinct pattern of differentiation between commercially-oriented cropping and subsistence farming strategies, the crop statistics available for the country do not yet make such distinctions.

Crop statistics methodology

No information is currently available to describe the methodology used in-country for annual crop assessments.

1. Constitution de la Quatrième République de Madagascar, 2010

2. Per the Atlas du Troisieme Recensement General de la Population at de l’Habitation de Madagascar 2018.