In 2008, Madagascans tended to hold a somewhat mixed and increasingly dim view of the state of their national economy. 28% of Madagascans thought their economy was in a poor state and 24% viewed it as healthy – 11 percentage points lower than in 2005. The remaining 48% had no definite opinion, indicating a degree of perplexity concerning the general state of the economy. An even greater cause for concern is Madagascans’ distinctly negative view of their personal living standards. Just 17% of Madagascans claimed they were satisfied with their current living standards, as opposed to 25% in 2005. Many Madagascans face shortages, and access to medicine and clean water has worsened since 2005. People in rural areas are the most severely affected by this trend.

In addition to the gloomy state of the economy, another major concern is the widespread fear of insecurity. Nearly 30% of Madagascans fear being physically attacked in their own homes, especially in rural areas. While these concerns are not as widespread in urban areas, they are on the increase in rural areas, which indicates that the recent measures designed to tackle these issues have not been enough to reassure the Madagascan people. The fight against crime and insecurity is becoming the primary concern of Madagascans, ahead of poverty, agricultural development and employment, which are all issues that the authorities need to address as a matter of priority.

Despite this unfavourable climate, Madagascans remain generally optimistic about the future prospects of the state of their country and of their living standards. Yet since 2005, this sense of confidence has been seriously eroded. Combined with an increasingly critical view of the entire range of policies implemented by the government, the authorities need to interpret these warning signs as an indication that they need to act swiftly.