Madagascar

Is Madagascar safe to visit?

With a good tour operator, mostly yes, but Madagascar is harder work than most destinations we score. The country has been run by a military-led transitional government since October 2025, yet the US rates it only Level 2, "exercise increased caution", and the UK lifted its warning within a week of the takeover. The risks travellers meet are older ones: armed robbery on national roads and beaches, crashes involving bush taxis, malaria, seasonal plague, and health care that cannot handle anything serious. We score Madagascar 47, above Mozambique across the channel and below Tanzania.

What happened in October 2025

Youth-led "Gen Z" protests began in Antananarivo over chronic water and power cuts and spread to wider complaints about corruption and poverty. In mid-October an elite army unit, CAPSAT, led by Colonel Michael Randrianirina, sided with the protesters. President Andry Rajoelina fled abroad and was impeached by parliament, and on 17 October the High Constitutional Court swore in Randrianirina as transitional president. He has promised elections within two years. The African Union suspended Madagascar over what it called an unconstitutional change of government; the southern African bloc SADC chose to engage with the new authorities instead.

For visitors the effect has been modest. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says politically linked rallies can happen anywhere and may turn violent, and roads can be closed when security forces and residents clash. Security personnel are known for firm responses to minor things, so do not photograph them. Madagascar ranks 59th of 163 on the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary, better than most of its neighbours.

Robbery on roads, rivers and beaches

Madagascar reports no homicide figure to UNODC. WHO's model gives 6.1 per 100,000 (WHO modelled estimate, 2021), but no national data sit behind it, one reason our confidence is low. The advisories describe the pattern. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says armed robberies on main roads are frequent, especially at night and outside towns. Gangs have attacked vehicles on the RN7 between Antananarivo and Toliara, and the triangle between Ihosy, Toliara and Fort Dauphin remains tense; the FCDO advises flying to Fort Dauphin. In the west, use a recognised operator between Besalampy and Morombe, and take care on the RN27, RN10 and RN34. Armed criminals have robbed passengers on boats on the Tsiribihina River.

In the south and west, cattle raiders known as dahalo fight security forces and have killed villagers. They have not targeted tourists, but do not stay in rural areas there without security arrangements. On the coast, the FCDO reports violent robberies and assaults on isolated beaches, even in daytime, naming Nosy Be, Ankify, Ambanja and the beaches north and south of Toliara.

In Antananarivo and other towns, pickpockets and muggers target foreigners. Do not walk alone after dark, use pre-booked taxis, and keep phones and cash out of sight. Some criminals pose as police, so ask for ID. If you are robbed, do not resist.

Roads and boats

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 22.5 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, a little above the African median. Roads outside the capital have steep gradients, sharp bends and heavy lorries, few are lit, and many vehicles drive at night without lights. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says crashes involving taxi-brousses, the shared minibuses, are frequent, and advises against using them because of robbery too. From December to April many secondary roads need a 4x4 and bridges wash away. Coastal ferries to Sainte Marie and along the west coast have had accidents caused by overcrowding and sudden squalls.

Malaria, plague and hospitals

CDC recommends malaria tablets for the whole island except Antananarivo. Plague is endemic, and cases rise every year between September and April; the UK Health Security Agency noted a fatal pneumonic case in Ambositra District in January 2026. The risk to tourists is very low. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also lists dengue, schistosomiasis (do not swim in fresh water) and mpox, and says tap water is unsafe.

Medical care is the main weakness. Antananarivo's public and private hospitals handle routine operations only, and complex cases are flown to Mauritius, South Africa or Réunion. In rural areas, care is extremely limited. Do not travel without insurance that covers evacuation.

Cyclones

The cyclone season runs from November to April, with coastal areas most exposed. Storms cut access to remote regions and contaminate water. Check Météo Madagascar and keep spare days in your itinerary if you travel then.

How to stay safe in Madagascar

• Travel by road only in daylight, with a recognised operator and driver.
• Avoid taxi-brousses and night-time road and river travel.
• Fly rather than drive to Fort Dauphin.
• Take malaria tablets outside the capital and drink bottled water.
• Carry your passport; police do random checks and may not accept copies.
• In an emergency call 117 from a mobile or 17 from a landline.

How we scored it

Health (35) and road safety (40) are the weakest factors: malaria, plague and very limited care, and WHO's estimate of 22.5 road deaths per 100,000. Petty crime (42) and violent crime (52) reflect widespread armed robbery in the advisories; violent crime sits below the band of WHO's modelled homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary, which has no national data behind it. Conflict (58) accounts for the military takeover and the dahalo violence, offset by calm advisories.