Madagascar rural observatory surveys, a longitudinal dataset on household living conditions 1995-2015

A Rural Observatory System (ROS) was established in Madagascar to address the lack of socio-economic data on rural areas. It collected, analyzed, and disseminated data to help in the formulation and evaluation of development policies. From 1995 to 2014, the ROS surveyed a total of 26 areas. The ROS methodology involved annual household panel surveys using consistent questionnaires, complemented by modules covering new themes and enriched questions adapted to specific contexts. Qualitative community surveys provided a qualitative understanding of the local features and dynamics. The site selection combined quantitative and qualitative insights to reflect Madagascar's diverse rural challenges. Quality control was comprehensive, with measures like limiting the number of surveyor interviews per day and daily field supervision. By making this data available for 21 consecutive years, along with documentation, metadata, and code with analysis examples, we aim to facilitate its discovery, assessment, and understanding by researchers, policymakers, and social organizations. To our knowledge, this is the only available data for an in-depth analysis of the situation and trends in the rural areas of Madagascar.