No Longer Invisible: Unlocking Legal Identity for Millions in Madagascar

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/07/01/no-longer-invisible-unlocking-legal-identity-for-millions-in-madagascar?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM285629 STORY HIGHLIGHTS Around 6 million adults in Madagascar, nearly 40% of the population, lack a birth certificate, limiting access to jobs, financial services, and basic rights. A new 2026 law enables birth certificates to be issued at scale, building on nationwide biometric enrollment supported by the PRODIGY Project, financed by the World Bank and the Global Financing Facility, which has already registered over 3.25 million adults. Reaching the most excluded people remains the next frontier, requiring sustained outreach and further reforms to ensure no one is left without legal identity.