Drapeau de Madagascar

Madagascar

Political and Economic relations

Date of update: March 24th 2026 Information still valid as of today's date

Political relations

Relations between France and Madagascar are strong and friendly thanks to the historical, cultural and economic ties that bind our two countries and the solidarity between Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) member countries.

Economic relations

France is a major economic player in Madagascar as:

  • Its leading trading partner, with €999 million in 2018, including €14.6 million in exports from La Réunion;
  • Its leading customer, receiving 22% of Madagascar’s exports in 2017;
  • Its fourth-largest supplier in 2017;
  • Its second-largest bilateral donor, behind the United States. In 2017, French official development assistance (ODA) for Madagascar totalled €75.2 million, including €48.5 in bilateral assistance. This aid is primarily delivered via the Agence Française de Développement (AFD, French Development Agency), which authorized almost €310 million in loans and grants for Madagascar between 2014 and 2018;
  • Its leading source of tourists, with close to 150,000 French visitors in 2016: almost half of all tourists.

List of French representations