Economy — Comoros
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Economy at a glance
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency. Key figure for Comoros: One of the world's poorest and smallest economies, the Comoros is made up of three islands that are hampered by inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity…
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Economic overview
- Economic Overview
- One of the world's poorest and smallest economies, the Comoros is made up of three islands that are hampered by inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, accounts for about 50% of GDP, employs a majority of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang ylang (perfume essence)
- and the Comoros' export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires and extreme weather. Despite agriculture’s importance to the economy, the country imports roughly 70% of its food
- rice, the main staple, and other dried vegetables account for more than 25% of imports. Remittances from about 300,000 Comorans contribute about 25% of the country’s GDP. France, Comoros’s colonial power, remains a key trading partner and bilateral donor. Comoros faces an education system in need of upgrades, limited opportunities for private commercial and industrial enterprises, poor health services, limited exports, and a high population growth rate. Recurring political instability, sometimes initiated from outside the country, and an ongoing electricity crisis have inhibited growth. The government, elected in mid-2016, has moved to improve revenue mobilization, reduce expenditures, and improve electricity access, although the public sector wage bill remains one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In mid-2017, Comoros joined the Southern African Development Community with 15 other regional member states.
- Industries
Fishing, tourism, perfume distillation
- GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,500.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
2.2%
GDP & growth
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)
$2,730,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Per Capita
$1,500.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
2.2%
- GDP - official exchange rate
$622,000,000 (USD)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- Household consumption: 104.9%
- Government consumption: 19.2%
- Investment in fixed capital: 11.2%
- Investment in inventories: 10.3%
- Exports of goods and services: 19.4%
- Imports of goods and services: -65%
- GDP by Sector- agriculture
50%
- GDP by Sector- Industry
12.1%
- GDP by Sector- services
37.9%
- Industrial Growth Rate
0.5%
Prices & money
- Inflation Rate
1.2%
- Exchange Rate per US Dollar
449.1
- Currency Name and Code
Comoran francs (KMF)
- Fiscal Year
calendar year
- Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
10.5%
Employment & labor
- Labor Force
245,200
- Unemployment Rate
6.5%
- Major Industries
Fishing, tourism, perfume distillation
- Agriculture Products
Vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coconuts, bananas, cassava (manioc)
- Population Below Poverty Line
44.8%
- Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14
39,550
- Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14
27%
Public finance
- Annual Budget
$165,000,000 (USD)
- Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP
-3.3%
- Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP
26.5%