Cambodia

Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries.  Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In 1975, after a seven-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off 13 years of internecine warfare in which a coalition of Khmer Rouge, Cambodian nationalists, and royalist insurgents, with assistance from China, fought the Vietnamese-backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The 1991 Paris Agreements ended the country’s civil war and mandated democratic elections, which took place in 1993 and ushered in a period of multi-party democracy with a constitutional monarchy. King Norodom SIHANOUK was reinstated as head of state, and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the royalist FUNCINPEC party formed a coalition government.  Nevertheless, the power-sharing arrangement proved fractious and fragile, and in 1997, a coup led by CPP leader and former PRK prime minister HUN SEN dissolved the coalition and sidelined FUNCINPEC. Despite further attempts at coalition governance, the CPP has since remained in power through elections criticized for lacking fairness, political and judicial corruption, media control, and influence over labor unions, all of which have been enforced with violence and intimidation. HUN SEN remained as prime minister until 2023, when he transferred power to his son, HUN MANET. HUN SEN has subsequently maintained considerable influence as the leader of the CPP and the Senate. The CPP has also placed limits on civil society, press freedom, and freedom of expression. Despite some economic growth and considerable investment from China over the past decade, Cambodia remains one of East Asia's poorest countries.The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in 1999. A UN-backed special tribunal established in Cambodia in 1997 tried some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity and genocide. The tribunal concluded in 2022 with three convictions.

land

176,515 sq km

total

181,035 sq km

water

4,520 sq km

one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oklahoma

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

443 km

highest point

Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

lowest point

Gulf of Thailand 0 m

mean elevation

126 m

13 00 N, 105 00 E

a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)

3,540 sq km (2012)

border countries

Laos 555 km; Thailand 817 km; Vietnam 1158 km

total

2,530 km

agricultural land

32.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 22.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 8.5% (2018 est.)

forest

56.5% (2018 est.)

other

11.4% (2018 est.)

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

fresh water lake(s)

Tonle Sap - 2,700-16,000 sq km

Mekong (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

Southeast Asia

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land

population concentrated in the southeast, particularly in and around the capital of Phnom Penh; further distribution is linked closely to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

0-14 years

28.9% (male 2,497,056/female 2,436,618)

15-64 years

65.8% (male 5,456,941/female 5,765,206)

65 years and over

5.3% (2024 est.) (male 323,591/female 584,257)

beer

4.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

4.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

18.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

16.3% (2022)

56.3% (2014)

7.5% of GDP (2020)

66.4% (2023 est.)

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Cambodia is a predominantly rural country with among the most ethnically and religiously homogenous populations in Southeast Asia: more than 95% of its inhabitants are Khmer and more than 95% are Buddhist.  The population’s size and age structure shrank and then rebounded during the 20th century as a result of conflict and mass death.  During the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979 as many as 1.5 to 2 million people are estimated to have been killed or died as a result of starvation, disease, or overwork – a loss of about 25% of the population.  At the same time, emigration was high, and the fertility rate sharply declined.  In the 1980s, after the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge, fertility nearly doubled and reached pre-Khmer Rouge levels of close to 7 children per woman, reflecting in part higher infant survival rates.  The baby boom was followed by a sustained fertility decline starting in the early 1990s, eventually decreasing from 3.8 in 2000 to 2.9 in 2010, although the rate varied by income, education, and rural versus urban location.  Despite continuing fertility reduction, Cambodia still has a youthful population that is likely to maintain population growth through population momentum. Improvements have also been made in mortality, life expectancy, and contraceptive prevalence, although reducing malnutrition among children remains stalled.  Differences in health indicators are pronounced between urban and rural areas, which experience greater poverty. Cambodia is predominantly a country of migration, driven by the search for work, education, or marriage.  Internal migration is more prevalent than international migration, with rural to urban migration being the most common, followed by rural to rural migration.  Urban migration focuses on the pursuit of unskilled or semi-skilled jobs in Phnom Penh, with men working mainly in the construction industry and women working in garment factories.  Most Cambodians who migrate abroad do so illegally using brokers because it is cheaper and faster than through formal channels, but doing so puts them at risk of being trafficked for forced labor or sexual exploitation.  Young Cambodian men and women migrate short distances across the Thai border using temporary passes to work in agriculture, while others migrate long distances primarily into Thailand and Malaysia for work in agriculture, fishing, construction, manufacturing, and domestic service.  Cambodia was a refugee sending country in the 1970s and 1980s as a result of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime, its ousting by the Vietnamese invasion, and the resultant civil war.  Tens of thousands of Cambodians fled to Thailand; more than 100,000 were resettled in the US in the 1980s.  Cambodia signed a multi-million dollar agreement with Australia in 2014 to voluntarily resettle refugees seeking shelter in Australia.  However, the deal has proven to be a failure because of poor conditions and a lack of support services for the few refugees willing to accept the offer.

elderly dependency ratio

8.5

potential support ratio

11.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.4

youth dependency ratio

45

improved: rural

rural: 80.6% of population

improved: total

total: 85.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 19.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 14.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.7% of population

3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Khmer 95.4%, Cham 2.4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 0.7% (2019-20 est.)

1.06 (2024 est.)

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2016)

female

24.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

31.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Khmer (official) 95.8%, minority languages 2.9%, Chinese 0.6%, Vietnamese 0.5%, other 0.2% (2019 est.)

major-language sample(s)

សៀវភៅហេតុការណនៅលើពិភពលោក។ ទីតាំងពត៏មានមូលដានគ្រឹះយាងសំខាន់។. (Khmer)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

female

73.3 years

male

69.6 years

total population

71.4 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.8% (2021)

male

88.4%

total population

83.9%

2.281 million PHNOM PENH (capital) (2023)

218 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

28.9 years

male

26.9 years

total

27.9 years (2024 est.)

23.3 years (2021-22 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Cambodian

noun

Cambodian(s)

-2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

3.9% (2016)

0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

female

8,786,081 (2024 est.)

male

8,277,588

total

17,063,669

population concentrated in the southeast, particularly in and around the capital of Phnom Penh; further distribution is linked closely to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers

0.99% (2024 est.)

Buddhist (official) 97.1%, Muslim 2%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.5% (2019 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 69.3% of population

improved: total

total: 76.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 30.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 23.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.55 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

6% (2020 est.)

male

36.1% (2020 est.)

total

21.1% (2020 est.)

2.17 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

25.6% of total population (2023)

24 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural) provinces: Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Sihanouk, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Khmum municipalities: Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)

etymology

Phnom Penh translates as "Penh's Hill" in Khmer; the city takes its name from the present Wat Phnom (Hill Temple), the tallest religious structure in the city, whose establishment, according to legend, was inspired in the 14th century by a pious nun, Daun PENH

geographic coordinates

11 33 N, 104 55 E

name

Phnom Penh

time difference

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cambodia

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

amendments

proposed by the monarch, by the prime minister, or by the president of the National Assembly if supported by one fourth of the Assembly membership; passage requires two-thirds majority of the Assembly membership; constitutional articles on the multiparty democratic form of government and the monarchy cannot be amended; amended several times, latest 2022

history

previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993

conventional long form

Kingdom of Cambodia

conventional short form

Cambodia

etymology

the English name Cambodia is an anglicization of the French Cambodge, which is the French transliteration of the native name Kampuchea

former

Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia

local long form

Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic transliteration)

local short form

Kampuchea

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Bridgette L. WALKER (since August 2024)

email address and website

ACSPhnomPenh@state.govhttps://kh.usembassy.gov/

embassy

#1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh

FAX

[855] (23) 728-700

mailing address

4540 Phnom Penh Place, Washington DC  20521-4540

telephone

[855] (23) 728-000

chancery

4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador KEO Chhea (since 19 April 2022)

email address and website

camemb.usa@mfaic.gov.khhttps://www.embassyofcambodiadc.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 726-8381

telephone

[1] (202) 726-7742

cabinet

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch

chief of state

King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)

elections/appointments

monarch chosen by the 9-member Royal Council of the Throne from among all eligible males of royal descent; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister HUN MANET (since 22 August 2023)

note

note:  MANET succeeded his father, HUN SEN, who had been prime minister since 1985

three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white, three-towered temple, representing Angkor Wat, outlined in black in the center of the red band; red and blue are traditional Cambodian colors

note

note: only national flag to prominently incorporate an actual identifiable building into its design (a few other national flags - those of Afghanistan, San Marino, Portugal, and Spain - show small generic buildings as part of their coats of arms on the flag)

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

9 November 1953 (from France)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

Supreme Council (organized into 5- and 9-judge panels and includes a court chief and deputy chief); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - in 1997, the Cambodian Government requested UN assistance in establishing trials to prosecute former Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity committed during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime; the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (also called the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) was established in 2006 and began hearings for the first case in 2009; court proceedings remain ongoing in 2021

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court and Constitutional Council judge candidates recommended by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, a 17-member body chaired by the monarch and includes other high-level judicial officers; judges of both courts appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of the court renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts

Appellate Court; provincial and municipal courts; Military Court

civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law

description

bicameral Parliament of Cambodia consists of:Senate (62 seats; 58 indirectly elected by parliamentarians and commune councils, 2 indirectly elected by the National Assembly, and 2 appointed by the monarch; members serve 6-year terms)National Assembly (125 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 86%, KWP 12%; seats by party - CPP 57; KWP 3; independent 2; composition - men 50, women 12, percentage women 19.4%National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 82.4%, FUNCINPEC 9.2%, KNUP 1.7%, CYP 1.3%, other 5.4% (14 other parties received votes); seats by party - CPP 120, FUNCINPEC 5; composition - men 108, women 17, percentage women 13.6%

elections

Senate - last held on 25 February 2024 (next to be held in February 2030)National Assembly - last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held in July 2028)

note

note: the EU, UN, and US condemned the July 2023 National Assembly election as neither free nor fair

lyrics/music

CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL

name

"Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)

note

note: adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime

selected World Heritage Site locales

Angkor; Temple of Preah Vihear; Sambor Prei Kuk; Koh Ker: Archaeological Site of Ancient Lingapora or Chok Gargyar

total World Heritage Sites

4 (all cultural)

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors: red, blue

Candlelight Party or CPCambodian People's Party or CPP Khmer Will Party or KWP

note

note 1: 18 parties registered to run in the 2023 parliamentary electionnote 2:  the Cambodian Government disqualified the Candlelight Party, the main opposition party, from the July 2023 election

18 years of age; universal

cassava, rice, maize, sugarcane, vegetables, oil palm fruit, rubber, bananas, jute, pork (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

1.9% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

41.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$4.666 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$5.9 billion (2020 est.)

Moody's rating

B2 (2007)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

N/A (2014)

Current account balance 2021

-$10.893 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$7.582 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$552.607 million (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

one of the fastest growing Southeast Asian economies; rebounding tourism and clothing exports; substantial manufacturing and construction sectors; new trade agreements expanding agricultural markets; significant public debt; investing in new ports and roads

Currency

riels (KHR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

4,061.149 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

4,092.783 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

4,098.723 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

4,102.038 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

4,110.653 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$20.178 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$25.497 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$27.753 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

garments, trunks and cases, footwear, cassava, shoes (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

US 36%, Vietnam 10%, Germany 7%, Japan 5%, Canada 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

73.1% (2023 est.)

government consumption

8.1% (2023 est.)

household consumption

41.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-40.4% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

15.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

21.5% (2023 est.)

industry

38.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

33.4% (2023 est.)

$31.773 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports 2021

$32.816 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$34.759 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$29.42 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, refined petroleum, fabric, plastic products, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 30%, Thailand 19%, Singapore 18%, Vietnam 13%, Switzerland 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

4.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.92% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.34% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.13% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

9.175 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

16.5% (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

30.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$77.442 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$81.499 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$85.9 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.03% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.24% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

5.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$4,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$4,900 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,100 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

9.42% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

8.87% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

8.81% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$21.328 billion (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$20.27 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$17.801 billion (2022 est.)

16.36% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

0.4% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

0.25% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

0.24% (2023 est.)

female

0.9% (2023 est.)

male

0.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

0.8% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

4.063 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

10.333 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

14.396 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

2.215 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

2.265 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

113,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

11.001 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

3.566 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

3.204 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.38 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

88%

electrification - total population

92.3% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99%

biomass and waste

1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

49.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

45.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

12.831 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

73,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

233,732 (2020 est.) Slowly increase as focus is on mobile internet

mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately owned broadcast media; 27 TV broadcast stations with most operating on multiple channels, including 1 state-operated station broadcasting from multiple locations, 11 stations either jointly operated or privately owned with some broadcasting from several locations; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available (2019); 84 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; one international broadcaster is available (2019) as well as one Chinese joint venture television station with the Ministry of Interior; several television and radio operators broadcast online only (often via Facebook) (2019)

.kh

percent of population

60% (2021 est.)

total

10.2 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, is about 120 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Cambodia’s mobile-dominated telecoms sector spent much of 2020 battling two major challenges: the global pandemic, and the government’s retraction of trial licenses for the rollout of 5G; citing concerns about waste and inefficiency occurring if each operator built a separate 5G infrastructure in order to maximize their own network’s coverage (and, presumably, to capture greater market share), the regulator withdrew the licenses that the operators had been using for their 5G trials; this was despite all of the operators having already announced a successful completion of their trials; more than a year later, the market is still waiting on the government to release its 5G policy and roadmap, along with the allocation of spectrum and approvals to permit commercial operation; there is little expectation of any further progress happening before the start of 2022; the mobile network operators have maintained their focus and investment strategies on upgrading and expanding their existing LTE networks around the country, and to 5G-enable their base stations; when the 5G market eventually arrives, the underlying infrastructure will at least be ready to support a rapid adoption of the higher-value applications and services; the mobile market fell back slightly during 2020 and 2021 (in terms of total subscriber numbers) as the Covid-19 crisis wore on, but it remains in relatively good health as mobile users increased their data usage over the period; the mobile broadband market experienced a small but very rare contraction in 2020, although rates were already very high in this area; there is likely to be a quick rebound to previous levels once economic conditions stabilize, followed by a modest rates of growth over the next five years; the number of fixed telephony lines in service continues to fall sharply as customers migrate to mobile platforms for both voice and data; the lack of any widespread fixed-line infrastructure has had a flow-on effect in the fixed-line broadband market, a sector that also remains largely under-developed (2021)

international

country code - 855; landing points for MCT and AAE-1 via submarine cables providing communication to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

38,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

116 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

19.505 million (2022 est.)

13 (2024)

XU

1 (2024)

by type

container ship 2, general cargo 123, oil tanker 18, other 52

total

195 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

680,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,411,059 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

25

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

key ports

Kampong Saom, Phsar Ream

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

2 (2024)

very small

1

narrow gauge

642 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

note

note: under restoration

total

642 km (2014)

paved

15,000 km

total

61,810 km

unpaved

46,810 km (2021)

3,700 km (2012) (mainly on Mekong River)

the RCAF’s primary responsibilities are border, coastal, and internal security; since 2016, the RCAF has regularly conducted a small annual training exercise known as “Golden Dragon” with the military of China, its closest security partnerthe RCAF was re-established in 1993 under the first coalition government from the merger of the Cambodian Government’s military forces (Cambodian People’s Armed Forces) and the two non-communist resistance forces (Sihanoukist National Army, aka National Army for Khmer Independence, and the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces); thousands of communist Khmer Rouge fighters began surrendering by 1994 under a government amnesty program and the last of the Khmer Rouge forces (National Army of Democratic Kampuchea) were demobilized or absorbed into the RCAF in 1999Cambodia continues to be one of the most densely landmine-contaminated countries in the world; by the early 1990s, various aid organizations estimated there were 8-10 million landmines scattered throughout the country, with a particularly heavy concentration on a 1,000-km (620-mile) strip along the northwest Thai-Cambodia border known as the "K5 belt"; the mines were laid during Cambodia’s decades-long war by the Cambodian army, the Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge, the non-communist fighters, and US forces; part of Cambodia's defense policy is demining the territory with the intent of having the entire country cleared of unexploded ordnances by 2035; over 1 million landmines and over 3 million explosives were discovered and removed from 1992 to 2018; in 2018, the Cambodian government and Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), a government agency, launched the National Mine Action Strategy for 2018-2025 (2024)

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF): Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie; the National Committee for Maritime Security (2024)

note

note 1: the National Committee for Maritime Security performs coast guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agenciesnote 2: the Cambodian National Police are under the Ministry of Interior

information varies; estimated 150-200,000 Armed Forces personnel (2024)

340 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)

the RCAF is armed largely with older Chinese and Russian-origin equipment; in recent years it has received limited amounts of more modern equipment from several suppliers, particularly China (2024)

note

note: in December 2021, the US Government halted arms-related trade with Cambodia, citing deepening Chinese military influence, corruption, and human rights abuses by the government and armed forces; the policy of denial applied to licenses or other approvals for exports and imports of defense articles and defense services destined for or originating in Cambodia, with exceptions (on a case-by-case basis) related to conventional weapons destruction and humanitarian demining activities

Military Expenditures 2018

2.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (conscription only selectively enforced since 1993; service is for 18 months); women may volunteer (2024)

a significant transshipment country for Burma-sourced methamphetamine and heroin and a location for large-scale ketamine production; transnational criminal organizations (TCO’s) use Cambodia as both a transit and destination for illicit drugs; precursor chemicals from mainly China used at domestic clandestine laboratories operated by TCOs for the manufacturing of methamphetamine, ketamine, and other synthetic drugs (2021)

stateless persons

75,000 (2022)

tier rating

Tier 3 — Cambodia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Cambodia remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/cambodia/

carbon dioxide emissions

9.92 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

14.88 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

17.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing; coastal ecosystems choked by sediment washed loose from deforested areas inland

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

agricultural land

32.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 22.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 8.5% (2018 est.)

forest

56.5% (2018 est.)

other

11.4% (2018 est.)

fresh water lake(s)

Tonle Sap - 2,700-16,000 sq km

Mekong (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.84% of GDP (2018 est.)

476.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

2.05 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

25.6% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.089 million tons (2014 est.)