Since their independence in 1975, the Comorians have suffered from political instability and a steady decline in their standard of living. In 1997, the country was plunged into an unprecedented political crisis, with the secession first of Nzwani and then of Mwali. The separatist movement and the violence that accompanied the demonstrations and repression on the islands came to an end in 1999, leading to the creation of the Union of the Comoros and the adoption of a new constitution in 2001.

The country was for a long time at the bottom of the world economic ladder, but the recent years of calm have enabled it to start climbing. It is still among the poorest countries in the world, but remittances from emigrants and the great solidarity of the Comorians have kept the inhabitants from extreme poverty. Thus, while 45 per cent of Comorian households were poor in 1997, and the figure was 53 per cent in 1995, it had fallen to 37 per cent in 2004.

Where are the poor?
However, there are major differences among the islands: Nzwani is the poorest island in the archipelago, with 38.4 per cent of poor households, but is also where poverty has been most reduced in recent years. Njazidja and Mwali have remained relatively stable at 35.3 per cent and 37.8 per cent respectively.

Poverty is greatest in rural areas: 41.1 per cent of rural inhabitants are poor and 79 per cent of the poor live in the countryside.

Who are the poor?
The Njazidja society is traditionally a matriarchal one and follows Islam. Women hold an unusual place, inheriting all the family lands on Njazidja and part of the lands on the other two islands, in addition to owning the houses. Households headed by men are therefore poorer than those headed by women. Moreover, women have a greater chance of obtaining microcredit loans, thanks to their successful record of saving and better rate of repayment. On the other hand, women face many difficulties with regard to employment: only 43 per cent of women are employed, often in the most precarious jobs, their salary share is much smaller and most of their jobs are concerned with farming family plots.

Why are they poor?
The Comoros suffer from the isolation of their territory, the restricted size of their domestic market and the high costs of inter-island and international transport. The political instability that marked the first 25 years of the young nation’s life also deterred investors and hampered development.

Source: IFAD

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