2016 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2016 Archive (HTML)
Introduction
Background
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 April 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 December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a cease-fire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. The most recent local (Commune Council) elections were held in Cambodia in 2012, with little of the preelection violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2013 were disputed, with the opposition - the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) - boycotting the National Assembly. The political impasse was ended nearly a year later, with the CNRP agreeing to enter parliament in exchange for ruling party commitments to electoral and legislative reforms.
Geography
Area
- 181,035 sq km 176,515 sq km 4,520 sq km
- land
- 176,515 sq km
- total
- 181,035 sq km
- water
- 4,520 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Climate
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
443 km
Elevation
- 126 m lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
- elevation extremes
- lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
- highest point
- Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
- mean elevation
- 126 m
Environment - current issues
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
Environment - international agreements
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling Law of the Sea
- party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified
- Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
13 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)
Irrigated land
3,540 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
- 2,530 km Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1,158 km
- border countries (3)
- Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1,158 km
- total
- 2,530 km
Land use
- 32.1% arable land 22.7%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 8.5% 56.5% 11.4% (2011 est.)
- agricultural land
- 32.1%
- forest
- 56.5%
- other
- 11.4% (2011 est.)
Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
- 12 nm 24 nm 200 nm 200 nm
- contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- continental shelf
- 200 nm
- exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- territorial sea
- 12 nm
Natural hazards
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Natural resources
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land
Terrain
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
People and Society
Age structure
- 31.24% (male 2,515,435/female 2,468,855) 19.02% (male 1,501,070/female 1,533,500) 40.18% (male 3,139,851/female 3,271,077) 5.43% (male 342,063/female 524,114) 4.14% (male 248,454/female 412,804) (2016 est.)
- 0-14 years
- 31.24% (male 2,515,435/female 2,468,855)
- 15-24 years
- 19.02% (male 1,501,070/female 1,533,500)
- 25-54 years
- 40.18% (male 3,139,851/female 3,271,077)
- 55-64 years
- 5.43% (male 342,063/female 524,114)
- 65 years and over
- 4.14% (male 248,454/female 412,804) (2016 est.)
Birth rate
23.4 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
23.9% (2014)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
50.5% (2010/11)
Death rate
7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Dependency ratios
- 55.6% 49.2% 6.4% 15.6% (2015 est.)
- elderly dependency ratio
- 6.4%
- potential support ratio
- 15.6% (2015 est.)
- total dependency ratio
- 55.6%
- youth dependency ratio
- 49.2%
Drinking water source
- urban: 100% of population rural: 69.1% of population total: 75.5% of population urban: 0% of population rural: 30.9% of population total: 24.5% of population (2015 est.)
- rural
- 30.9% of population
- total
- 24.5% of population (2015 est.)
- urban
- 0% of population
Education expenditures
2% of GDP (2013)
Ethnic groups
Khmer 97.6%, Cham 1.2%, Chinese 0.1%, Vietnamese 0.1%, other 0.9% (2013 est.)
Health expenditures
5.7% of GDP (2014)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.63% (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
2,000 (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
74,100 (2015 est.)
Hospital bed density
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate
- 48.7 deaths/1,000 live births 55.2 deaths/1,000 live births 41.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
- female
- 41.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
- male
- 55.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- total
- 48.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Khmer (official) 96.3%, other 3.7% (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- 64.5 years 62 years 67.1 years (2016 est.)
- female
- 67.1 years (2016 est.)
- male
- 62 years
- total population
- 64.5 years
Literacy
- age 15 and over can read and write 77.2% 84.5% 70.5% (2015 est.)
- definition
- age 15 and over can read and write
- female
- 70.5% (2015 est.)
- male
- 84.5%
- total population
- 77.2%
Major infectious diseases
- very high bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria (2016)
- degree of risk
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases
- bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases
- dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria (2016)
Major urban areas - population
PHNOM PENH (capital) 1.731 million (2015)
Maternal mortality rate
161 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
Median age
- 24.9 years 24.2 years 25.6 years (2016 est.)
- female
- 25.6 years (2016 est.)
- male
- 24.2 years
- total
- 24.9 years
Mother's mean age at first birth
- 22.9 median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2014 est.)
- note
- median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2014 est.)
Nationality
- Cambodian(s) Cambodian
- adjective
- Cambodian
- noun
- Cambodian(s)
Net migration rate
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
2.9% (2014)
Physicians density
0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2012)
Population
- 15,957,223 estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.)
- note
- estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.)
Population growth rate
1.56% (2016 est.)
Religions
Buddhist (official) 96.9%, Muslim 1.9%, Christian 0.4%, other 0.8% (2008 est.)
Sanitation facility access
- urban: 88.1% of population rural: 30.5% of population total: 42.4% of population urban: 11.9% of population rural: 69.5% of population total: 57.6% of population (2015 est.)
- rural
- 69.5% of population
- total
- 57.6% of population (2015 est.)
- urban
- 11.9% of population
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- 11 years 11 years 10 years (2008)
- female
- 10 years (2008)
- male
- 11 years
- total
- 11 years
Sex ratio
- 1.05 male(s)/female 1.02 male(s)/female 0.98 male(s)/female 0.96 male(s)/female 0.65 male(s)/female 0.6 male(s)/female 0.94 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
- 0-14 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years
- 0.65 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over
- 0.6 male(s)/female
- at birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- total population
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.56 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
- 0.5% 0.7% 0.4% according to official statistics (2010 est.)
- female
- 0.4%
- male
- 0.7%
- note
- according to official statistics (2010 est.)
- total
- 0.5%
Urbanization
- 20.7% of total population (2015) 2.65% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
- rate of urbanization
- 2.65% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
- urban population
- 20.7% of total population (2015)
Government
Administrative divisions
- 24 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 1 municipality (krong, singular and plural) Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Khmum Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)
- municipalities
- Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)
- provinces
- Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Kep, Koh Kong, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Khmum
Capital
- Phnom Penh 11 33 N, 104 55 E UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- 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
- no at least one parent must be a citizen of Cambodia yes 7 years
- 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
Constitution
previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993; amended 1999, 2008, 2014 (2016)
Country name
- Kingdom of Cambodia Cambodia Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic transliteration) Kampuchea Kampuchea Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia the English name Cambodia is an anglicization of the French Cambodge, which is the French transliteration of the native name Kampuchea
- 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 Kampuchea
Diplomatic representation from the US
- Ambassador William A. HEIDT (since 2 December 2015) Unit 8166, Box P, APO AP 96546 [855] (23) 728-000 [855] (23) 728-600
- chief of mission
- Ambassador William A. HEIDT (since 2 December 2015)
- FAX
- [855] (23) 728-600
- mailing address
- Unit 8166, Box P, APO AP 96546
- telephone
- [855] (23) 728-000
Diplomatic representation in the US
- Ambassador CHUM BUN RONG (since 3 August 2015) 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 [1] (202) 726-7742 [1] (202) 726-8381
- chancery
- 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
- chief of mission
- Ambassador CHUM BUN RONG (since 3 August 2015)
- FAX
- [1] (202) 726-8381
- telephone
- [1] (202) 726-7742
Executive branch
- King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004) Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992), SOK AN, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG (all since 16 July 2004), BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007), KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008), KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009) Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch 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
- 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 SEN (since 14 January 1985); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister MEN SAM AN (since 25 September 2008); Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992), SOK AN, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG (all since 16 July 2004), BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007), KEAT CHHON, YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008), KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009)
Flag description
- 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 only national flag to incorporate an actual building into its design
- note
- only national flag to incorporate an actual building into its design
Government type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independence
9 November 1953 (from France)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
ADB, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CICA (observer), EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINUSMA, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
- 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 in Cambodia (also called the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) were established and began hearings for the first case in 2009; court proceeding were ongoing in 2016 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 Appellate Court; provincial and municipal courts; Military Court
- 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 in Cambodia (also called the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) were established and began hearings for the first case in 2009; court proceeding were ongoing in 2016
- 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
Legal system
civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law
Legislative branch
- bicameral Parliament of Cambodia consists of the Senate (61 seats; 57 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) and the National Assembly (123 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) two seats will be added to the National Assembly in 2018, for a total of 125 Senate - last held on 4 February 2012 (next to be held in 2018); National Assembly - last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2018) Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 77.8%, SRP 22.2%; seats by party - CPP 46, SRP 11; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 48.8%, CNRP 44.5%, other 6.7%; seats by party - CPP 68, CNRP 55
- description
- bicameral Parliament of Cambodia consists of the Senate (61 seats; 57 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) and the National Assembly (123 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 77.8%, SRP 22.2%; seats by party - CPP 46, SRP 11; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 48.8%, CNRP 44.5%, other 6.7%; seats by party - CPP 68, CNRP 55
- elections
- Senate - last held on 4 February 2012 (next to be held in 2018); National Assembly - last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2018)
- note
- two seats will be added to the National Assembly in 2018, for a total of 125
National anthem
- "Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom) CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime
- lyrics/music
- CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL
- name
- "Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)
- note
- adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime
National holiday
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
National symbol(s)
- Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors: red, blue
- Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors
- red, blue
Political parties and leaders
Cambodian National Rescue Party or CNRP [SAM RANGSI, also spelled SAM RAINSY] (a July 2012 merger between the Sam Rangsi Party or SRP and the former Human Rights Party or HRP [KHEM SOKHA, also spelled KEM SOKHA]) Cambodian People's Party or CPP [HUN SEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization) Students Movement for Democracy The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel human rights organizations; labor unions; youth groups
- other
- human rights organizations; labor unions; youth groups
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc, tapioca), silk
Budget
- $2.983 billion $3.208 billion (2015 est.)
- expenditures
- $3.208 billion (2015 est.)
- revenues
- $2.983 billion
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-1.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Central bank discount rate
NA% (31 December 2012) 5.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
11.71% (31 December 2015 est.) 12.31% (31 December 2014 est.)
Current account balance
-$2.042 billion (2015 est.) -$2.032 billion (2014 est.)
Debt - external
$7.483 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $6.811 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
37.9 (2008 est.) 41.9 (2004 est.)
Economy - overview
Cambodia has experienced strong economic growth over the last decade; GDP grew at an average annual rate of over 8% between 2000 and 2010 and at least 7% since 2011. The tourism, garment, construction and real estate, and agriculture sectors accounted for the bulk of growth. Around 600,000 people, the majority of whom are women, are employed in the garment and footwear sector. An additional 500,000 Cambodians are employed in the tourism sector, and a further 50,000 people in construction. Tourism has continued to grow rapidly with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year since 2007 and reaching around 4.5 million visitors in 2014. Mining also is attracting some investor interest and the government has touted opportunities for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by endemic corruption, limited human resources, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. As of 2012, approximately 2.66 million people live on less than $1.20 per day, and 37% of Cambodian children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. More than 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the impoverished countryside, which also lacks basic infrastructure. The Cambodian Government has been working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs; more than 30% of the government budget comes from donor assistance. A major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance.
Exchange rates
riels (KHR) per US dollar - 4,067.75 (2015 est.) 4,037.5 (2014 est.) 4,037.5 (2013 est.) 4,033 (2012 est.) 4,058.5 (2011 est.)
Exports
$8.453 billion (2015 est.) $7.445 billion (2014 est.)
Exports - commodities
clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear
Exports - partners
US 23.1%, UK 8.8%, Germany 8.2%, Japan 7.4%, Canada 6.7%, China 5.1%, Vietnam 5%, Thailand 4.9%, Netherlands 4.1% (2015)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP - composition, by end use
- 78.6% 5.3% 21.2% 1.4% 67.6% -74.1% (2015 est.)
- exports of goods and services
- 67.6%
- government consumption
- 5.3%
- household consumption
- 78.6%
- imports of goods and services
- -74.1% (2015 est.)
- investment in fixed capital
- 21.2%
- investment in inventories
- 1.4%
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- 28.2% 29.4% 42.3% (2015 est.)
- agriculture
- 28.2%
- industry
- 29.4%
- services
- 42.3% (2015 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
- $3,500 (2015 est.) $3,300 (2014 est.) $3,100 (2013 est.) data are in 2015 US dollars
- note
- data are in 2015 US dollars
GDP - real growth rate
6.9% (2015 est.) 7.1% (2014 est.) 7.4% (2013 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$18.16 billion (2015 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
- $54.21 billion (2015 est.) $50.7 billion (2014 est.) $47.35 billion (2013 est.) data are in 2015 US dollars
- note
- data are in 2015 US dollars
Gross national saving
12.8% of GDP (2015 est.) 12.1% of GDP (2014 est.) 9.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
- 2% 28% (2013 est.)
- highest 10%
- 28% (2013 est.)
- lowest 10%
- 2%
Imports
$11.92 billion (2015 est.) $10.67 billion (2014 est.)
Imports - commodities
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
Imports - partners
Thailand 28.7%, China 22.2%, Vietnam 16.4%, Hong Kong 6.1%, Singapore 5.7% (2015)
Industrial production growth rate
11.7% (2015 est.)
Industries
tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.2% (2015 est.) 3.9% (2014 est.)
Labor force
7.974 million (2013 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
- 48.7% 19.9% 31.5% (2013 est.)
- agriculture
- 48.7%
- industry
- 19.9%
- services
- 31.5% (2013 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Population below poverty line
17.7% (2012 est.)
Public debt
33.9% of GDP (2014 est.) 33.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7.376 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $6.106 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Stock of broad money
$11.82 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $10.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$29.17 billion (2014 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
$9.776 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $7.842 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Stock of narrow money
$1.602 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $1.482 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
16.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
Unemployment rate
- 0.3% (2013 est.) 0.2% (2012 est.) according to official statistics; underemployment is high
- note
- according to official statistics; underemployment is high
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
6.5 million Mt (2013 est.)
Crude oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil - imports
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil - production
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Electricity - consumption
4.1 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2013 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
32.7% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
57.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources
10% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Electricity - imports
1.8 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
1.4 million kW (2014 est.)
Electricity - production
3 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity access
- 9,900,000 34% 97% 18% (2013)
- electrification - rural areas
- 18% (2013)
- electrification - total population
- 34%
- electrification - urban areas
- 97%
- population without electricity
- 9,900,000
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
Refined petroleum products - consumption
36,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
36,240 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Communications
Broadcast media
mixture of state-owned, joint public-private, and privately owned broadcast media; 9 TV broadcast stations with most operating on multiple channels, including 1 state-operated station broadcasting from multiple locations, 6 stations either jointly operated or privately owned with some broadcasting from several locations, and 2 TV relay stations - one relaying a French TV station and the other relaying a Vietnamese TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite systems are available; roughly 50 radio broadcast stations - 1 state-owned broadcaster with multiple stations and a large mixture of public and private broadcasters; several international broadcasters are available (2009)
Internet country code
.kh
Internet users
- 2.985 million 19% (July 2015 est.)
- percent of population
- 19% (July 2015 est.)
- total
- 2.985 million
Telephone system
- adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas fixed-line connections stand at about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, has increased to over 130 per 100 persons country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2015)
- domestic
- fixed-line connections stand at about 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, has increased to over 130 per 100 persons
- general assessment
- adequate fixed-line and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile-cellular phone systems are widely used in urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas
- international
- country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2015)
Telephones - fixed lines
- 256,387 2 (July 2015 est.)
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 2 (July 2015 est.)
- total subscriptions
- 256,387
Telephones - mobile cellular
- 20.851 million 133 (July 2015 est.)
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 133 (July 2015 est.)
- total
- 20.851 million
Transportation
Airports
16 (2013)
Airports - with paved runways
- 1 (2013)
- 1,524 to 2,437 m
- 2
- 2,438 to 3,047 m
- 3
- 914 to 1,523 m
- 1 (2013)
- total
- 6
Airports - with unpaved runways
- 1 (2013)
- 1,524 to 2,437 m
- 2
- 914 to 1,523 m
- 7
- total
- 10
- under 914 m
- 1 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
XU (2016)
Heliports
1 (2013)
Merchant marine
- bulk carrier 38, cargo 459, carrier 7, chemical tanker 4, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 1 352 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 177, Cyprus 4, Egypt 4, Estonia 1, French Polynesia 1, Gabon 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Japan 1, Lebanon 5, Russia 50, Singapore 3, South Korea 10, Syria 22, Taiwan 1, Turkey 15, UAE 2, UK 1, Ukraine 35, Vietnam 1) (2010)
- by type
- bulk carrier 38, cargo 459, carrier 7, chemical tanker 4, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 1
- foreign-owned
- 352 (Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 177, Cyprus 4, Egypt 4, Estonia 1, French Polynesia 1, Gabon 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Japan 1, Lebanon 5, Russia 50, Singapore 3, South Korea 10, Syria 22, Taiwan 1, Turkey 15, UAE 2, UK 1, Ukraine 35, Vietnam 1) (2010)
- total
- 544
National air transport system
- 1,103,880 2,301,260 mt-km (2015)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers
- 2,301,260 mt-km (2015)
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers
- 1,103,880
- inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers
- 10
- number of registered air carriers
- 4
Ports and terminals
- Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom) Phnom Penh (Mekong)
- major seaport(s)
- Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom)
- river port(s)
- Phnom Penh (Mekong)
Railways
- 642 km 642 km 1.000-m gauge under restoration (2014)
- narrow gauge
- 642 km 1.000-m gauge
- note
- under restoration (2014)
- total
- 642 km
Roadways
- 44,709 km 3,607 km 41,102 km (2010)
- paved
- 3,607 km
- total
- 44,709 km
- unpaved
- 41,102 km (2010)
Waterways
3,700 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2012)
Military and Security
Military branches
- Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force; the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie is the military police force responsible for internal security; the National Committee for Maritime Security performs Coast Guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies (2016)
- Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
- Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force; the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie is the military police force responsible for internal security; the National Committee for Maritime Security performs Coast Guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies (2016)
Military expenditures
2% of GDP (2015 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2014) 1.58% of GDP (2013) 1.54% of GDP (2012) 1.5% of GDP (2011)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Cambodia is concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam construction; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary; in 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear Temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a UN World Heritage site; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activities; progress on a joint development area with Vietnam is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands
Illicit drugs
narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders
Trafficking in persons
- Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to countries within the region and, increasingly, the Middle East for legitimate work but are subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, or forced labor in fishing, agriculture, construction, and factories; Cambodian men recruited to work on Thai-owned fishing vessels are subsequently subjected to forced labor in international waters and are kept at sea for years; poor Cambodian children are vulnerable and, often with the families’ complicity, are subject to forced labor, including domestic servitude and forced begging, in Thailand and Vietnam; Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers and tourist spots for sexual exploitation; Cambodian men are the main exploiters of child prostitutes, but men from other Asian countries, and the West travel to Cambodia for child sex tourism Tier 2 Watch List – Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; authorities made modest progress in prosecutions and convictions of traffickers in 2014 but did not provide comprehensive data; endemic corruption continued to impede law enforcement efforts, and no complicit officials were prosecuted or convicted; the government sustained efforts to identify victims and refer them to NGOs for care, but victim protection remained inadequate, particularly for assisting male victims and victims identified abroad; a new national action plan was adopted, but guidelines for victim identification and guidance on undercover investigation techniques are still pending after several years (2015)
- current situation
- Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Cambodian men, women, and children migrate to countries within the region and, increasingly, the Middle East for legitimate work but are subjected to sex trafficking, domestic servitude, or forced labor in fishing, agriculture, construction, and factories; Cambodian men recruited to work on Thai-owned fishing vessels are subsequently subjected to forced labor in international waters and are kept at sea for years; poor Cambodian children are vulnerable and, often with the families’ complicity, are subject to forced labor, including domestic servitude and forced begging, in Thailand and Vietnam; Cambodian and ethnic Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked from rural areas to urban centers and tourist spots for sexual exploitation; Cambodian men are the main exploiters of child prostitutes, but men from other Asian countries, and the West travel to Cambodia for child sex tourism
- tier rating
- Tier 2 Watch List – Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; authorities made modest progress in prosecutions and convictions of traffickers in 2014 but did not provide comprehensive data; endemic corruption continued to impede law enforcement efforts, and no complicit officials were prosecuted or convicted; the government sustained efforts to identify victims and refer them to NGOs for care, but victim protection remained inadequate, particularly for assisting male victims and victims identified abroad; a new national action plan was adopted, but guidelines for victim identification and guidance on undercover investigation techniques are still pending after several years (2015)