The present invention provides a method for producing an aromatic compound such as salicylic acid and a derivative thereof with high productivity using a microorganism. The present invention provides: a method for producing a microorganism having a sugar metabolic pathway modified, including suppressing the expression of a gene encoding a phosphotransferase system enzyme of the microorganism, suppressing the expression of a gene encoding pyruvate kinase of the microorganism, and introducing, into the microorganism, one or more genes encoding an enzyme that enables the microorganism to synthesize an aromatic compound from chorismic acid or isochorismic acid; a modified microorganism obtained by the method; and a method for producing an aromatic compound and a derivative thereof, including culturing the microorganism, and recovering an aromatic compound or the like from the culture.