Ngazidja
Ngazidja generates 25% of GDP through diaspora remittances while vanilla and ylang-ylang exports define Comoros' agricultural niche amid chronic political instability.
Ngazidja (Grande Comore) hosts the capital Moroni and serves as the primary source of Comoros' diaspora emigrants and remittance recipients. These remittances represent approximately 25% of GDP, making overseas Comorians essential to the domestic economy. Export-oriented agriculture centers on vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang essential oil, together comprising about 80% of export value. The fragrant crops define Comoros' agricultural niche in global markets.
Economic instability has characterized Comoros since independence in 1975, with tensions between the federal government on Grande Comore and island governments creating persistent political friction. Over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, with rising global food and fuel prices highlighting vulnerability to external shocks. The IMF's Extended Credit Facility arrangement supports the Emerging Comoros Plan targeting structural transformation.
The 2025 economic outlook projects 4% growth in 2024 and 4.6% in 2025, driven by government infrastructure projects, services expansion, and agricultural activity. Most informal production concentrates in rural Ngazidja (outside Moroni) and Ndzouani, primarily in agriculture followed by industry and commerce. The island's challenge is converting remittance inflows and specialty agricultural exports into broader development while managing the political fragmentation that has constrained progress since independence.