Millions of people across Madagascar rely, to varying degrees, on income from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Engagement ranges from full-time miners in boom areas to rural residents who mine part-time or seasonally alongside agriculture. As pressures on rural economies increase and gold prices rise, ASGM is likely to become even more essential. Yet there is limited evidence on its contributions to rural livelihoods and household incomes, and little is known about how these contributions vary with different levels of mining intensity and engagement. Research led by social and environmental consultancy Aquaterre, with Universities of Manchester and Michigan, aims to address these gaps through household surveys and key informant interviews in three contrasting mining areas: Ivato, Antanimbary, and Betsiaka. These sites represent a spectrum of mining forms and intensities. The study will highlight the role of various ASGM practices in sustaining rural livelihoods, providing evidence to inform more effective rural development and mining policies in Madagascar and similar contexts across sub-Saharan Africa.