ountries, Comoros
is made up of three islands that have 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, high unemployment, and
a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance.
Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, is the
leading sector of the economy. It contributes 40% to GDP, employs
80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The
country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main
staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government is
struggling to upgrade education and technical training, to privatize
commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services,
to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce the high
population growth rate. Continued foreign support is essential if
the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be maintained.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$400 million (1997 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3.5% (1997 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$700 (1997 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 14%
services: 46% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1997)

Labor force: 144,500 (1996 est.)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 80%, government 3%

Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $48 million
expenditures: $53 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997)

Industries: tourism, perfume distillation, textiles, furniture,
jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity--production: 15 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 86.67%
hydro: 13.33%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 15 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra,
coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)

Exports: $11.4 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)

Exports--commodities: vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil,
copra

Exports--partners: France 43%, US 43%, Germany 7% (1996)

Imports: $70 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.