SafekipediaDemographics of the Comoros
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The Comoros is a group of islands with a rich mix of cultures. Most people there, called Comorians, have roots in both Africa and Arabia. They live mainly on three islands: Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli. The main religion is Islam, and many children attend special schools focused on learning about it.
People in the Comoros speak a language called Comorian, which is related to Swahili. French and Arabic are also used. About nine out of every ten people can read and write. The country has had many counts of its people over the years, and as of 2020, experts think about 897,000 people live there.
Life in the Comoros has many young families. Almost half of all people are children under fifteen years old. Cities are growing, with Moroni, the capital, and Mutsamadu, a port town, being the biggest. People sometimes move between the islands or to other countries like France, where many Comorians went to study and stayed.
Population
The people of the Comoros, called Comorians, live on three main islands: Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli. They make up about 86% of the country's population and have mixed African and Arab backgrounds.
Most Comorians practice Islam, which plays a big role in their daily lives. Children often attend special schools focused on learning about Islam. Though Islam is the main religion, a small group of people follow Christianity.
UN population projections
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2010 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2035 | |
| 2040 | |
| 2045 | |
| 2050 |
Vital statistics
Statistics as of 2010[update]:
Demographic and Health Surveys
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Structure of the population (DHS 2012) (Males 11 088, Females 12 284 = 23 373) :
Fertility data as of 2012 (DHS Program):
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 8 000 | 4 000 | 4 000 | 46.8 | 24.0 | 22.8 | 6.00 | 178 |
| 1955–1960 | 9 000 | 4 000 | 5 000 | 48.9 | 22.9 | 26.0 | 6.60 | 167 |
| 1960–1965 | 10 000 | 4 000 | 6 000 | 48.0 | 20.8 | 27.2 | 6.91 | 154 |
| 1965–1970 | 11 000 | 4 000 | 6 000 | 46.8 | 18.9 | 27.9 | 7.05 | 141 |
| 1970–1975 | 12 000 | 4 000 | 8 000 | 46.8 | 16.9 | 29.8 | 7.05 | 127 |
| 1975–1980 | 14 000 | 5 000 | 10 000 | 47.9 | 15.6 | 32.3 | 7.05 | 116 |
| 1980–1985 | 17 000 | 5 000 | 12 000 | 48.6 | 14.3 | 34.4 | 7.05 | 106 |
| 1985–1990 | 16 000 | 5 000 | 11 000 | 39.6 | 12.1 | 27.5 | 6.00 | 95 |
| 1990–1995 | 17 000 | 5 000 | 12 000 | 36.6 | 11.0 | 25.6 | 5.30 | 89 |
| 1995–2000 | 20 000 | 6 000 | 15 000 | 38.6 | 10.6 | 28.0 | 5.30 | 83 |
| 2000–2005 | 24 000 | 6 000 | 18 000 | 40.2 | 10.1 | 30.0 | 5.30 | 78 |
| 2005–2010 | 27 000 | 7 000 | 20 000 | 39.0 | 9.4 | 29.5 | 5.08 | 72 |
| * CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman) | ||||||||
| Year | Total | Urban | Rural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | |
| 1996 | 33.9 | 5.1 (3.7) | 28.9 | 4.1 (3.1) | 35.8 | 5.5 (4.0) |
| 2012 | 32.3 | 4.3 (3.2) | 27.7 | 3.5 (2.5) | 34.5 | 4.8 (3.5) |
| Age group | Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 15.5 | 13.6 | 14.5 |
| 5–9 | 15.0 | 13.8 | 14.4 |
| 10–14 | 13.9 | 11.8 | 12.8 |
| 15–19 | 10.1 | 11.2 | 10.7 |
| 20–24 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 7.8 |
| 25–29 | 5.4 | 7.8 | 6.7 |
| 30–34 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6.2 |
| 35–39 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 5.7 |
| 40–44 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| 45–49 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
| 50–54 | 2.9 | 4.9 | 3.9 |
| 55–59 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| 60–64 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| 65–69 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| 70–74 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
| 75–79 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| 80+ | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Unknown | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Age group | Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 44.4 | 39.2 | 41.7 |
| 15–64 | 49.7 | 55.6 | 52.7 |
| 65+ | 5.8 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Region | Total fertility rate | Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant | Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohéli | 5.0 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| Anjouan | 5.2 | 6.7 | 5.8 |
| Grande Comore | 3.5 | 6.5 | 4.6 |
Languages
Main article: Languages of the Comoros
The main languages spoken in the Comoros are Arabic, French, and Comorian. All three are official languages of the country.
Religion
Most people in the Comoros practice a particular type of Islam called Sunni Islam, which is the official religion of the country. This group makes up about 98% of the population. The remaining 2% include smaller groups such as Shia Muslims, Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Protestants.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Demographics of the Comoros, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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