Comoros

federal presidential republic

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

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 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% expected date of next election: 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: Assembly of the Union (Assembl e 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 2030 note: opposition parties, which claimed there was "gross fraud" during the most recent election, boycotted the elections in 2020 and 2025

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges - selection and term of office NA subordinate courts: Court of Appeals (in Moroni); Tribunal de premi re instance; island village (community) courts; religious courts

history: previous 1996, 2001; newest adopted 30 July 2018 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

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)

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) note 1: when the Gendarmerie serves as the judicial police, it reports to the Minister of Justice; the Gendarmerie also has an intervention platoon that may act under the authority of the Interior Minister note 2: the FCD is also known as the Comoran Security Force

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

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)

$3.092 billion (2024 est.) $2.99 billion (2023 est.) $2.901 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$3,600 (2024 est.) $3,500 (2023 est.) $3,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.4% (2024 est.) 3.1% (2023 est.) 2.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

1% (2017 est.) 1.8% (2016 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

27.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

$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

$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

3.9% (2024 est.) 3.8% (2023 est.) 3.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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

fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

bananas, coconuts, cassava, yams, maize, taro, milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pulses (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 911,707 (2025 est.) male: 441,215 female: 470,492

1.26% (2025 est.)

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)

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

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

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

total population: 67.8 years (2024 est.) male: 65.5 years female: 70.2 years

urban population: 30.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

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

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

total population: 75.8% (2021 est.) male: 79.9% (2021 est.) female: 72.2% (2021 est.)

fish

refugees: 18 (2024 est.) IDPs: 38 (2024 est.)

3 (2025)

total: 273 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 17, container ship 7, general cargo 125, oil tanker 36, other 88

total subscriptions: 934,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2023 est.)

percent of population: 36% (2023 est.)