Madagascar is 2.19 times bigger by total area compared to New Zealand: 226,756 sq mi vs 103,483 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Madagascar is 224,634 sq mi vs 101,665 sq mi for New Zealand — a 2.21 times difference in territory size.
- Madagascar ranks 46/197 by total surface area vs 74/197 for New Zealand.
- Madagascar occupies 0.39% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.18% for New Zealand.
- 70.3% of Madagascar's area is agricultural land vs 36.9% in New Zealand.
- Madagascar has 0.86% of the world's agricultural land area — New Zealand has 0.2%.
- 21.3% of Madagascar is covered by forests, compared to 37.8% in New Zealand.
- 0.31% of the world's forests are in Madagascar, and 0.25% are in New Zealand.
Total size and land area comparison
Madagascar
|
New Zealand
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
226,756 sq mi |
103,483 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 2.19 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 46/197 | 74/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.12% | 0.05% |
| Land area |
224,634 sq mi |
101,665 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 2.21 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 44/197 | 74/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.39% | 0.18% |
| Population | 31,964,956 | 5,287,500 |
| Population density | 149.3 ppl/mi² | 52.8 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Madagascar
|
New Zealand
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
47,839 sq mi |
38,418 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 21.3% | 37.8% |
| Forest area rank | 48/196 | 53/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.31% | 0.25% |
Agricultural land area
|
157,896 sq mi |
37,494 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 70.3% | 36.9% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 26/194 | 72/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.86% | 0.2% |
|
Arable land
|
11,583 sq mi |
2,008 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 5.16% | 1.97% |
| Arable land area rank | 67/191 | 123/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
2,317 sq mi |
278 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 1.03% | 0.27% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 51/192 | 115/192 |
|
Water area
|
2,122 sq mi |
1,819 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0.94% | 1.76% |
| Water area rank | 63/197 | 65/197 |
| Roads length |
19,660 mi |
60,159 mi |
| Land borders length |
0 mi |
0 mi |
| Coastline length |
3,000 mi |
9,404 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 1.3% | 30.4% |
Madagascar vs New Zealand size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/madagascar/new-zealand | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Madagascar and New Zealand but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.