Military profile
Madagascar Military Strength
Madagascar ranks #130 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with 13,000 active personnel. It spent $120 million on its military in 2025 (0.6% of GDP).
Madagascar armed forces in numbers
Personnel
- Active military personnel
- 13,000#114 of 145
- Reserve military personnel
- 0#84 of 145
- Paramilitary forces
- 10,000#66 of 145
- Army personnel
- 12,500#108 of 145
- Air force personnel
- 550#118 of 145
- Navy personnel
- 500#101 of 145
Air power
- Total military aircraft
- 4#131 of 145
- Fighter aircraft
- 0#95 of 145
- Attack aircraft
- 0#65 of 145
- Military helicopters
- 4#128 of 145
- Attack helicopters
- 0#79 of 145
Land forces
- Tanks
- 386#40 of 145
- Self-propelled artillery
- 0#96 of 145
- Towed artillery
- 0#107 of 145
- Rocket artillery
- 0#98 of 145
Naval power
- Aircraft carriers
- 0#8 of 113
- Destroyers
- 0#15 of 113
- Frigates
- 0#56 of 113
- Corvettes
- 0#47 of 113
- Submarines
- 0#44 of 113
- Patrol vessels
- 9#79 of 113
- Mine warfare vessels
- 0#53 of 113
Finance
- Military spending
- $120 million#136 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 0.6%#137 of 156
- Purchasing power parity (GDP, PPP)
- $40.0 billion#115 of 145
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Madagascar military spending 2010–2025
Military spending of Madagascar grew by 110% between 2010 and 2025, from $57 million to $120 million (current US dollars), and stood at 0.6% of GDP in 2025.
Armed forces of Madagascar
Branches and forces
Madagascar Armed Forces (aka Armed forces of the Republic of Madagascar); Malagasy Army, Naval Forces (or National Navy), Air Force; Malagasy National Gendarmerie (2025)
Personnel
estimated 13,000 Armed Forces; estimated 10,000 Gendarmerie (2025)
Service age and conscription
18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; service obligation 18 months; conscription available in times of national emergency or war (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the military's inventory consists mostly of older or secondhand armaments originating from countries such as France, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, the UAE, the UK, and the US (2025)
Good to know
the military's responsibilities include ensuring sovereignty and territorial integrity and protecting Madagascar's maritime domain, particularly against piracy, drug trafficking, and smuggling; it also assists the Gendarmerie with maintaining law and order in rural areas, largely in areas affected by banditry, cattle rustling, and criminal groups; the military has a history of influence in domestic politics and seized control of the government in October 2025; security relationships have included France, India, and Russia; Madagascar's small Navy has traditionally looked to India for assistance with maritime security (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2024: 0.7% · 2023: 0.7% · 2022: 0.7% · 2021: 0.7% · 2020: 0.7%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).