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.

Area
Total: 2,235 km²
Land: 2,235 km²
Water: 0 km²
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
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
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 71.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 34.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 28.5% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 8.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 17.8% (2023 est.)
Other: 10.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 1.3 km² (2012)

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

Population
Total: 900,141 (2024 est.)
Male: 435,758
Female: 464,383
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
Growth rate: 1.3% (2024 est.)

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.)
Note: Sunni Islam is the state religion

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 146,480/female 146,626)
15-64 years: 62.8% (male 271,139/female 294,231)
65 years and over: 4.6% (2024 est.) (male 18,139/female 23,526)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 59.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 51.8 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.4 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 13.6 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 22.1 years
Female: 23.3 years

Population growth rate: 1.3% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 21.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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)
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
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 179 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 64.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 44.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 65.5 years
Female: 70.2 years

Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.6% of population
Rural: 11.5% of population
Total: 8.9% of population (2017 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 9.1% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.9% (2024 est.); 3.8% (2023 est.); 3.9% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Moroni
Geographic coordinates: 11 42 S, 43 14 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)
Head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term
Most recent election date: 14 January 2024
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%
2019: AZALI Assoumani elected president in first round - AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 60.8%, Ahamada MAHAMOUDOU (PJ) 14.6%, Mouigni Baraka Said SOILIHI (independent) 5.6%, other 19%
Expected date of next election: 2,029
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Assembly of the Union (Assemblée de l'Union)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 33 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 1/12/2025 to 2/16/2025
Parties elected and seats per party: Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) (31); Other (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 18.2%
Expected date of next election: January 2,030
Note: opposition parties, which claimed there was 'gross fraud' during the most recent election, boycotted the elections in 2020 and 2025

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

National anthem
Title: 'Udzima wa ya Masiwa' (The Union of the Great Islands)
Lyrics/music: Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH
History: adopted 1978

Real gdp growth rate: 3.4% (2024 est.); 3.1% (2023 est.); 2.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.4% (2024 est.); 3.1% (2023 est.); 2.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 103.6% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 9.2% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 11.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 9.9% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -34.5% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 36.6% (2024 est.)
Industry: 9.6% (2024 est.)
Services: 50.1% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 276,400 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.9% (2024 est.); 3.8% (2023 est.); 3.9% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.9% (2024 est.); 3.8% (2023 est.); 3.9% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $212.551 million (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $230.338 million (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Exports: $148.455 million (2023 est.); $166.032 million (2022 est.); $128.331 million (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: cloves, ships, essential oils, vanilla, scrap iron (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $504.036 million (2023 est.); $480.268 million (2022 est.); $415.965 million (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, poultry, rice, flavored water, additive manufacturing machines (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 32,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 113.052 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 22.1 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 89.9% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Access electrification - rural areas: 82.9%
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.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 436,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 436,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 7.139 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 9,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 934,000 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 36% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 3,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1

Airports: 3 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 273 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 17, container ship 7, general cargo 125, oil tanker 36, other 88