Comoros Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Moroni

Population

911,707 (2025 est.)

Area

2,235 sq km

Location

Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

🧭 Background

For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean served as a key node in maritime trade networks that connected the Middle East, India, and eastern African regions. Composed of the islands of Anjouan, Mayotte, Moheli, and Grande Comore, Comoros spent most of the 20th century as a colonial outpost until it declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. Residents of Mayotte, however, voted to remain in France, and the French Government has since classified it as a French Overseas Department. Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 successful and attempted coups, mostly between 1975 and 2000, resulting in prolonged political instability and stunted economic development. In 2002, President AZALI Assoumani became the first elected president following the completion of the Fomboni Accords, in which the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli agreed to rotate the presidency among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the Comoros, refusing to step down when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis with sanctions and a naval blockade of Anjouan, but in 2008, the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, AZALI won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. In 2018, a referendum -- which the opposition parties boycotted -- approved a new constitution that extended presidential term limits and abolished the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. AZALI formed a new government later that year, and he subsequently ran and was reelected in 2019. AZALI was reelected again in January 2024 in an election that the opposition disputed but the Supreme Court validated.

🗺️ Geography

Location

Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates

12 10 S, 44 15 E

Map references

Africa

Area — total

2,235 sq km

Area — land

2,235 sq km

Area — water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries — total

0 km

Coastline

340 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Climate

Tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Terrain

Volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Elevation — highest point

Karthala 2,360 m

Elevation — lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

Fish

Land use — agricultural land

71.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 34.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 28.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 8.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

17.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

10.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

The capital city of Maroni, on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, Anjouan is the most densely populated of the three islands that comprise Comoros, as shown in this population distribution map

Natural hazards

Cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore volcanism: Karthala (2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud

Geography - note

Important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel; the only Arab League country that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

911,707 (2025 est.)

Population — male

441,215

Population — female

470,492

Nationality — noun

Comoran(s)

Nationality — adjective

Comoran

Ethnic groups

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Languages

Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili), Comorian

Religions

Muslim 98.1% (overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, small Shia Muslim and Ahmadiyya Muslim populations), ethnic religionist 1.1%, Christian 0.6%, other 0.3% (2020 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

32.6% (male 146,480/female 146,626)

Age structure — 15-64 years

62.8% (male 271,139/female 294,231)

Age structure — 65 years and over

4.6% (2024 est.) (male 18,139/female 23,526)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

57.3 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

49.9 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

7.4 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

13.5 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

23.1 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

22.1 years

Median age — female

23.3 years

Population growth rate

1.26% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

21.12 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

The capital city of Maroni, on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, Anjouan is the most densely populated of the three islands that comprise Comoros, as shown in this population distribution map

Urbanization — urban population

30.1% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

62,000 MORONI (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.92 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

23 years (2012 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

179 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

53.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

64.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

44.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

67.8 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

65.5 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

70.2 years

Total fertility rate

2.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.24 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 97.4% of population

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 88.5% of population

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 91% of population

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 2.6% of population

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 11.5% of population

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 8.9% of population (2017 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

4.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

7.8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

14.7% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

24.8% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

4.7% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

9.1% (2022 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

63.1% (2022 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

4.9% (2022)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

20.7% (2022)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

6.9% (2022)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

11.5% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

75.8% (2021 est.)

Literacy — male

79.9% (2021 est.)

Literacy — female

72.2% (2021 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Deforestation; soil degradation and erosion from forest loss and crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; silting of coral reefs

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

None of the selected agreements

Climate

Tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Land use — agricultural land

71.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 34.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 28.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 8.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

17.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

10.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

30.1% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

436,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

436,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

14.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

91,000 tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

10.1% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

4.8 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

500,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

4.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Union of the Comoros

Country name — conventional short form

Comoros

Country name — local long form

Udzima wa Komori (Comorian)/Union des Comores (French)/Al Ittihad al Qumuri (Arabic)

Country name — local short form

Komori (Comorian)/Les Comores (French)/Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)

Country name — former

Comorian State, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

Country name — etymology

Name derives from the Arabic al qamar, meaning "the moon"

Government type

Federal presidential republic

Capital — name

Moroni

Capital — geographic coordinates

11 42 S, 43 14 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Capital — etymology

The name means "at the place of fire," referring to the capital's location below the active volcano Mt. Karthala

Administrative divisions

3 islands; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali)

Legal system

Mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law

Constitution — history

Previous 1996, 2001; newest adopted 30 July 2018

Constitution — amendment process

Proposed by the president of the union or supported by at least one third of the Assembly of the Union membership; adoption requires approval by at least three-quarters majority of the total Assembly membership or approval in a referendum

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

At least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)

Executive branch — head of government

President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)

Executive branch — cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term

Executive branch — most recent election date

14 January 2024

Executive branch — election results

2024: AZALI Assoumani reelected president in first round - AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 63%, SALIM ISSA Abdallah (PJ) 20.3%, DAOUDOU Abdallah Mohamed (Orange Party) 5.9%, Bourhane HAMIDOU (independent) 5.1%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

2029

Legislative branch — legislature name

Assembly of the Union (Assemblée de l'Union)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — number of seats

33 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Plurality/majority

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

1/12/2025 to 2/16/2025

Legislative branch — parties elected and seats per party

Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) (31); Other (2)

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

18.2%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

January 2030

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges - selection and term of office NA

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Court of Appeals (in Moroni); Tribunal de première instance; island village (community) courts; religious courts

Political parties

Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC Juwa Party (Parti Juwa) or PJ Orange Party (2020)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Issimail CHANFI (since 23 December 2020); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

Permanent Mission to the UN, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 495, New York, NY 10017

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (212) 750-1637

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (212) 750-1657

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Comoros@un.int https://www.un.int/comoros/

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

The US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the US Ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Independence

6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Flag

Description: four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue, with a green isosceles triangle based on the left; a vertical white crescent moon is centered in the triangle, with four five-pointed white stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent meaning: the horizontal bands and the stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago -- Mwali, N'gazidja, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte is a department of France, but claimed by Comoros)

National symbol(s)

Four five-pointed stars and crescent moon

National color(s)

Green, white

National coat of arms

The coat of arms is in the national colors of green and white; was adopted in 1978; the crescent and stars represent Islam, with the four stars also symbolizing the archipelago’s four main islands: Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan, and Mayotte (the last of which is a French department claimed by Comoros); above and below the sun’s rays is the name of the nation written in French and Arabic; two olive branches, representing peace, are connected by a banner with the national motto in French, which translates as "Unity, Solidarity, Development"

National anthem(s) — title

"Udzima wa ya Masiwa" (The Union of the Great Islands)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1978

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Small trade-based island economy; declining remittances; new structural and fiscal reforms; adverse cyclone and COVID-19 impacts; manageable debts; fragile liquidity environment; large foreign direct investment; state-owned enterprises suffering

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$3.092 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.99 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.901 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,600 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$3,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$3,500 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.546 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

1.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

36.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

9.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

50.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

103.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

9.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

11.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

9.9% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-34.5% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Bananas, coconuts, cassava, yams, maize, taro, milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pulses (2023)

Industries

Fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

Industrial production growth rate

3.8% (2024 est.)

Labor force

276,400 (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

3.9% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

3.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

3.9% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

8.9% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

8.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

9.6% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

44.8% (2020 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

21.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

22% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

22.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$212.551 million (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$230.338 million (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

27.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$24.621 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$5.248 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

-$4.076 million (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$148.455 million (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$166.032 million (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$128.331 million (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

Indonesia 25%, India 23%, Turkey 16%, UAE 11%, USA 3% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Cloves, ships, essential oils, vanilla, scrap iron (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$504.036 million (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$480.268 million (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$415.965 million (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

China 24%, UAE 21%, Tanzania 12%, France 7%, India 6% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Refined petroleum, poultry, rice, flavored water, additive manufacturing machines (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$323.946 million (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$324.561 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$283.746 million (2022 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$267.652 million (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

454.524 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

454.991 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

467.184 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

415.956 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

430.721 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

89.9% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

82.9%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

32,000 kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

113.052 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

22.1 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

7.139 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

8,200 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2023 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

934,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

110 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

National state-owned TV station and a TV station run by Anjouan regional government; national state-owned radio; regional governments on the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan each operate a radio station; a few independent and small community radio stations operate on the islands of Grande Comore and Moheli, and these two islands have access to Mayotte Radio and French TV

Internet country code

.km

Internet users — percent of population

36% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

3,000 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

D6

Airports

3 (2025)

Merchant marine — total

273 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

Bulk carrier 17, container ship 7, general cargo 125, oil tanker 36, other 88

Ports — total ports

4 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

0

Ports — small

0

Ports — very small

4

Ports — ports with oil terminals

3

Ports — key ports

Dzaoudzi, Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudu

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense or FCD; includes Comoran National Gendarmerie); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard, Federal Police, National Directorate of Territorial Safety (customs and immigration) (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Estimated 600 Defense Force; estimated 500 Federal Police (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The AND is lightly armed and equipped with small arms, a few light aircraft, and utility vehicles (2024)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)

Military - note

The focus for the security forces is search and rescue operations and maintaining internal security; a defense treaty with France provides naval resources for the protection of territorial waters, training of Comoran military personnel, and air surveillance; France maintains a small maritime base and a Foreign Legion contingent on neighboring Mayotte (2024)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

18 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

38 (2024 est.)