Demographics of Comoros, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

The Comorians inhabiting Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli (86% of the population) share African-Arab origins. Islam (See Islam in Comoros) is the dominant religion, and Quranic schools for children reinforce its influence. Although Arab culture is firmly established throughout the archipelago, a substantial minority of the citizens of Mayotte (the Mahorais) are Roman Catholic French native.

The most common language is Comorian, a Swahili dialect. French and Arabic also are spoken. About 57% of the population is literate.

Population density figures conceal a great disparity between the republic's most crowded island, Nzwani, which had a density of 470 persons per square kilometer in 1991; Njazidja, which had a density of 250 persons per square kilometer in 1991; and Mwali, where the 1991 population density figure was 120 persons per square kilometer. Overall population density increased to about 285 persons per square kilometer by 1994. Mahoré's population density went from 179 persons per square kilometer in 1985 to 251 per square kilometer in 1991.

By comparison, estimates of the population density per square kilometer of the Indian Ocean's other island microstates ranged from 241 (Seychelles) to 690 (Maldives) in 1993. Given the rugged terrain of Njazidja and Nzwani, and the dedication of extensive tracts to agriculture on all three islands, population pressures on Comoros are becoming increasingly critical. A similar situation obtains on Mahoré.

The age structure of the population of Comoros is similar to that of many developing countries, in that the republic has a very large proportion of young people. In 1989, 46.4 percent of the population was under fifteen years of age, an above-average proportion even for sub-Saharan Africa. The population's rate of growth was a relatively high 3.5 percent per annum in the mid1980s , up substantially from 2.0 percent in the mid-1970s and 2.1 percent in the mid-1960s.

In 1983 the Abdallah regime borrowed US$2.85 million from the IDA to devise a national family planning program. However, Islamic reservations about contraception made forthright advocacy and implementation of birth control programs politically hazardous, and consequently little was done in the way of public policy (see Status of Women , this ch.).

The Comoran population has become increasingly urbanized in recent years. In 1991 the percentage of Comorans residing in cities and towns of more than 5,000 persons was about 30 percent, up from 25 percent in 1985 and 23 percent in 1980. Comoros' largest cities were the capital, Moroni, with about 30,000 people, and the port city of Mutsamudu, on the island of Nzwani, with about 20,000 people. Mahoré's capital, Dzaoudzi, had a population of 5,865 according to the 1985 census; the island's largest town, Mamoudzou, had 12,026 people.

Migration among the various islands is relatively small. Natives of Njazidja often settle in less crowded Mwali, and before independence people from Nzwani commonly moved to Mahoré. In 1977 Mahoré expelled peasants from Njazidja and Nzwani who had recently settled in large numbers on the island. Some were allowed to reenter starting in 1981 but solely as migrant labor.

The number of Comorans living abroad has been estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000; most of them lived in Tanzania, Madagascar, and other parts of East Africa. The number of Comorans residing in Madagascar was drastically reduced after anti-Comoran rioting in December 1976 in Mahajanga, in which at least 1,400 Comorans were killed. As many as 17,000 Comorans left Madagascar to seek refuge in their native land in 1977 alone. About 40,000 Comorans live in France; many of them had gone there for a university education and never returned. Small numbers of Indians, Malagasy, South Africans, and Europeans live on the islands and play an important role in the economy.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.

Population

690,948 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.7% (male 148,009/female 147,038)

15-64 years: 54.3% (male 185,107/female 190,139)

65 years and over: 3% (male 9,672/female 10,983) (2006 est.)

Median age

Total: 18.6 years

Male: 18.4 years

Female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.87% (2006 est.)

Birth rate

36.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 72.85 deaths/1,000 live births

Male: 81.27 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 64.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 62.33 years

Male: 60 years

Female: 64.72 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (2001 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: NA

Deaths: NA

Nationality

Noun: Comorian(s)

Adjective: Comorian

Ethnic groups

Religions

98% of the population of the Comoros is Muslim Sunni, 2% are Catholic, and evangelical believers represent only 0.1% of the population (Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, Operation World. Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, 2005, pg. 193).

Languages

Arabic (official), French (official), Comorian (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Total population: 56.5%

Male: 63.6%

Female: 49.3% (2003 est.)

References

This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2006 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.

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