Law as a foundation for trust.

Minimum Hiring Wage / Minimum Wage in Madagascar: recent reforms

In Madagascar, the minimum wage in the private sector has undergone several successive increases in recent years.

The applicable system is based on minimum hiring wages set according to professional categories and, where applicable, seniority.

In 2024, an increase of approximately 10% raised the minimum wage in the non-agricultural private sector to 262,680 ariary.

In the agricultural sector, the minimum wage was raised to 266,500 ariary with effect from 1 March 2024.

This reform forms part of a process of social dialogue between the State, employers and workers’ representatives.

In February 2026, a new agreement set the minimum hiring wage at 300,000 ariary for category M1l, the lowest level in the minimum hiring wage scale. In practice, it applies to labourers or workers carrying out simple, manual and non-specialised tasks requiring no particular qualifications.

This measure must still be consolidated by the relevant implementing legislation in order to take full legal effect.

Its stated objective is to improve purchasing power and partially offset wage erosion.

In practice, the impact mainly concerns formal private-sector employees, while informal workers remain largely outside the scope of the system.

These developments confirm a trend towards the gradual increase of the minimum wage in Madagascar, within an increasingly structured legal framework.

Institutional crisis in Madagascar and its impact on the judicial system

Since October 2025, Madagascar has been experiencing an institutional crisis marked by the removal of President Andry Rajoelina following an unprecedented popular mobilisation against water and electricity cuts, corruption and poverty. This crisis created a power vacuum, with military forces—particularly the Army Corps of Administrative and Technical Personnel and Services (CAPSAT)—taking control. This exceptional situation raises profound questions about institutional continuity and the functioning of judicial institutions in a context of political instability.

Madagascar’s judicial system, already weakened by years of dysfunction linked to insufficient resources, ageing infrastructure, slow proceedings and corruption issues, has suffered an additional shock as a result of this institutional crisis. The demonstrations, followed by the abrupt change in political leadership, disrupted the organisation of the courts and delayed the processing of cases and ongoing trials. Normal judicial operations have recently resumed, despite the mass adjournment of certain hearings, particularly criminal hearings, due to a strike by prison staff.

The institutional independence of Madagascar’s judicial system remains a major challenge. Despite notable efforts to strengthen the individual independence of judges and improve judicial administration, particularly through legislative reforms, the justice system remains heavily dependent on the executive branch in budgetary and administrative matters.

Digitalisation and modernisation of Madagascar’s judicial system

In May 2025, Madagascar reached a decisive milestone with the official launch of the digital case-law platform (jurisprudence.justice.gov.mg). Supported by the Ministry of Justice and international partners, this initiative aims to centralise and digitise all judicial decisions, bringing an end to a gap of more than fifteen years in the regular publication of case law.

The platform provides:

• easier access to decisions for judges, lawyers, litigants and members of parliament;
• shorter case-processing times;
• greater consistency in case law throughout the country, thereby limiting disparities and legal uncertainty.

Administrative Court of Antananarivo

Despite the 2024 judicial recess, the Administrative Court of Antananarivo is particularly active. As the electoral judge has exclusive jurisdiction over electoral disputes, appeals concerning the latest municipal elections are flowing into the country’s Administrative Courts.

Electoral litigation requires a thorough understanding of detailed and complex procedures. The assistance of a lawyer remains essential to help the parties assert their rights effectively.

Industrial property

Our industrial property consultant and accredited agent attended training on database management applied to industrial property monitoring during the week of 20 January 2025.