2019 Edition

CIA World Factbook 2019 Archive (Wayback Machine)

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Countries

267

Data Records

66,981

Cambodia

2019 Edition · 311 data fields

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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 20 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 were tried for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. In 2018, the tribunal heard its final cases, but it remains in operation to hear appeals. 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. Local (Commune Council) elections were held in Cambodia in 2012, with little of the violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2013 were disputed, with the opposition - the Cambodia 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 commitments by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to electoral and legislative reforms. The CNRP made further gains in local commune elections in June 2017, accelerating sitting Prime Minister Hun SEN’s efforts to marginalize the CNRP before national elections in 2018. Hun Sen arrested CNRP President Kem SOKHA in September 2017. The Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 and banned its leaders from participating in politics for at least five years. The CNRP’s seats in the National Assembly were redistributed to smaller, less influential opposition parties, while all of the CNRP’s 5,007 seats in the commune councils throughout the country were reallocated to the CPP. With the CNRP banned, the CPP swept the 2018 national elections, winning all 125 National Assembly seats and effectively turning the country into a one-party state.

Geography

Area

Land: 176,515 sq km
Total: 181,035 sq km
Water: 4,520 sq km

Area Comparative

one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; 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

Highest Point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
Lowest Point: Gulf of Thailand 0 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; coastal ecosystems choked by sediment washed loose from deforested areas inland

Environment International Agreements

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

Border Countries: Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1158 km
Total: 2,530 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land: 32.1% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Arable Land: 22.7% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Crops: 0.9% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture: 8.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 56.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 11.4% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map References

Southeast Asia

Maritime Claims

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

Population Distribution

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

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

People and Society

Age Structure

0 14 Years: 30.76% (male 2,556,733 /female 2,503,796)
15 24 Years: 17.84% (male 1,452,795 /female 1,482,065)
25 54 Years: 41.09% (male 3,312,036 /female 3,446,962)
55 64 Years: 5.94% (male 406,970 /female 569,383)
65 Years And Over: 4.37% (male 269,159 /female 449,620) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

22.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

24.1% (2014)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

56.3% (2014)

Current Health Expenditure

6.1% (2016)

Death Rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio: 6.4 (2015 est.)
Potential Support Ratio: 15.6 (2015 est.)
Total Dependency Ratio: 55.6 (2015 est.)
Youth Dependency Ratio: 49.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural: 69.1% of population
Improved Total: 75.5% of population
Improved Urban: 100% of population
Unimproved Rural: 30.9% of population
Unimproved Total: 24.5% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 0% of population

Education Expenditures

1.9% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

Khmer 97.6%, Cham 1.2%, Chinese 0.1%, Vietnamese 0.1%, other 0.9% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.5% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

1,300 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

73,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female: 39.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 52.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 46.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Khmer (official) 96.3%, other 3.7% (2008 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female: 67.9 years
Male: 62.7 years
Total Population: 65.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Female: 75% (2015)
Male: 86.5%
Total Population: 80.5%

Major Infectious Diseases

Degree Of Risk: very high (2019)
Food Or Waterborne Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2019)
Vectorborne Diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria (2019)

Major Urban Areas Population

2.014 million PHNOM PENH (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

160 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female: 26.4 years
Male: 24.9 years
Total: 25.7 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

22.9 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Cambodian
Noun: Cambodian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

3.9% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

16,449,519 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.48% (2018 est.)

Religions

Buddhist (official) 97.9%, Muslim 1.1%, Christian 0.5%, other 0.6% (2013 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural: 30.5% of population (2015 est.)
Improved Total: 42.4% of population (2015 est.)
Improved Urban: 88.1% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Rural: 69.5% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Total: 57.6% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 11.9% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female: 10 years (2008)
Male: 11 years
Total: 11 years

Sex Ratio

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: 0.71 male(s)/female
65 Years And Over: 0.6 male(s)/female
At Birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Total Population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.47 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female: 1.2% (2016 est.)
Male: 1%
Total: 1.1%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization: 3.25% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Urban Population: 23.8% of total population (2019)

Government

Administrative Divisions

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)

Capital

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

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

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 1999, 2008, 2014, 2018 (2019)
History: previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993

Country Name

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

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission: Ambassador Patrick MURPHY (since 23 October 2019)
Embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
Fax: [855] (23) 728-600
Mailing Address: Unit 8166, Box P, APO AP 96546
Telephone: [855] (23) 728-000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
Chief Of Mission: Ambassador CHUM SOUNRY (since 17 September 2018)
Fax: [1] (202) 726-8381
Telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742

Executive Branch

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), TEA BANH, Gen., HOR NAMHONG, (since 16 July 2004), BIN CHHIN (since 5 September 2007), YIM CHHAI LY (since 24 September 2008), KE KIMYAN (since 12 March 2009), AUN PORNMONIROTH (since 24 September 2012), Prak SOKONN, CHEA SOPHARA (since 5 April 2016)

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

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, 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

Highest Courts: 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 2019
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

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 96%, FUNCINPEC 2.4%, KNUP 1.6%; seats by party - CPP 58; composition - men 53, women 9, percent of women 14.5% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 76.9%, FUNCINPEC 5.9%, LDP 4.9%, Khmer Will Party 3.4%, other 8.9%; seats by party - CPP 125; composition - men 100, women 25, percent of women 20%; note - total Parliament of Cambodia percent of women 18.2%
Elections: Senate - last held on 25 February 2018 (next to be held in 2024); National Assembly - last held on 29 July 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music: CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL
Name: "Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

National Symbol S

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

Political Parties And Leaders

Cambodia National Rescue Party or CNRP [KHEM SOKHA] (dissolved by the Cambodian Supreme Court in November 2017; formed from a 2012 merger of the Sam Rangsi Party or SRP and the former Human Rights Party or HRP [KHEM SOKHA, also spelled KEM SOKHA]) Cambodian Nationality Party or CNP [SENG SOKHENG] Cambodian People's Party or CPP [HUN SEN] Khmer Economic Development Party or KEDP [HUON REACH CHAMROEUN] Khmer National Unity Party or KNUP [NHEK BUN CHHAY] Khmer Will Party [KONG MONIKA] League for Democracy Party or LDP [KHEM Veasna] National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Economy

Agriculture Products

rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc, tapioca), silk

Budget

Expenditures: 4.354 billion (2017 est.)
Revenues: 3.947 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2007: 5.25%
31 December 2012: NA%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016: 11.36%
31 December 2017: 10.92%

Current Account Balance

2016: -$1.731 billion
2017: -$1.871 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016: $10.3 billion
31 December 2017: $11.87 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2004: 41.9
2008: 37.9

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 about 7% since 2011. The tourism, garment, construction and real estate, and agriculture sectors accounted for the bulk of growth. Around 700,000 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 200,000 people in construction. Tourism has continued to grow rapidly with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year in 2007 and reaching 5.6 million visitors in 2017. Mining also is attracting some investor interest and the government has touted opportunities for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. Still, Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, and long-term economic development remains a daunting challenge, inhibited by corruption, limited human resources, high income inequality, and poor job prospects. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the percentage of the population living in poverty decreased to 13.5% in 2016. 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 World Bank in 2016 formally reclassified Cambodia as a lower middle-income country as a result of continued rapid economic growth over the past several years. Cambodia’s graduation from a low-income country will reduce its eligibility for foreign assistance and will challenge the government to seek new sources of financing. 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 20% of the government budget will come from donor assistance in 2018. 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. Textile exports, which accounted for 68% of total exports in 2017, have driven much of Cambodia’s growth over the past several years. The textile sector relies on exports to the United States and European Union, and Cambodia’s dependence on its comparative advantage in textile production is a key vulnerability for the economy, especially because Cambodia has continued to run a current account deficit above 9% of GDP since 2014.

Exchange Rates

2013: 4,037.5
2014: 4,067.8
2015: 4,058.7
2016: 4,058.7
2017: 4,055
Currency: riels (KHR) per US dollar -

Exports

2016: $10.07 billion
2017: $11.42 billion

Exports Commodities

clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

Exports Partners

US 21.5%, UK 9%, Germany 8.6%, Japan 7.6%, China 6.9%, Canada 6.7%, Spain 4.7%, Belgium 4.5% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services: 68.6% (2017 est.)
Government Consumption: 5.4% (2017 est.)
Household Consumption: 76% (2017 est.)
Imports Of Goods And Services: -73% (2017 est.)
Investment In Fixed Capital: 21.8% (2017 est.)
Investment In Inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture: 25.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 32.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 41.9% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$22.09 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015: $3,600
2016: $3,800
2017: $4,000

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015: $56.18 billion
2016: $60.09 billion
2017: $64.21 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015: 7%
2016: 7%
2017: 6.9%

Gross National Saving

2015: 13.4% of GDP
2016: 14.3% of GDP
2017: 13.7% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10: 28% (2013 est.)
Lowest 10: 2%

Imports

2016: $12.65 billion
2017: $14.37 billion

Imports Commodities

petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products

Imports Partners

China 34.1%, Singapore 12.8%, Thailand 12.4%, Vietnam 10.1% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

10.6% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016: 3%
2017: 2.9%

Labor Force

8.913 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture: 48.7%
Industry: 19.9%
Services: 31.5% (2013 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

Population Below Poverty Line

16.5% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

2016: 29.1% of GDP
2017: 30.4% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016: $9.122 billion
31 December 2017: $12.2 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016: $1.748 billion
31 December 2017: $2.202 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

2014: $29.17 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016: $14.27 billion
31 December 2017: $16.53 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016: $1.748 billion
31 December 2017: $2.202 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

17.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016: 0.2%
2017: 0.3%

Energy

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Total: 129,650

Broadcast Media

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)

Internet Country Code

.kh

Internet Users

Percent Of Population: 25.6% (July 2016 est.)
Total: 4,080,372

Telephone System

Domestic: fixed-line connections stand at about 1 per 100 persons and declining; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, has increased to about 115 per 100 persons; in 2021 Cambodia hopes to launch it first communications satellite into orbit; fixed broadband penetration is predicted to reach over 2% by 2023 (2018)
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 spreading in rural areas; about 50% of Cambodians own at least one smart phone; in 2018 the MPTC began a free Wi-Fi service for visitors and residents of Phnom Penh, in selected parks around the city customers can access free Wi-Fi services (2018)
International: country code - 855; landing points for MCT and AAE-1 via submarine cables supping communication to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa; 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) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 132,911

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 115 (2017 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 18,572,973

Transportation

Airports

16 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M: 2
2 438 To 3 047 M: 3
914 To 1 523 M: 1
Total: 6 (2019)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M: 2 (2013)
914 To 1 523 M: 7 (2013)
Total: 10 (2013)
Under 914 M: 1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

XU (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type: container ship 2, general cargo 260, oil tanker 25, other 77 (2018)
Total: 364

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers: 2,301,260 mt-km (2015)
Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers: 1,103,880 (2015)
Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers: 10 (2015)
Number Of Registered Air Carriers: 4 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Major Seaport S: Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom)
River Port S: Phnom Penh (Mekong)

Railways

Narrow Gauge: 642 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Total: 642 km (2014)

Roadways

Paved: 12,239 km (2013)
Total: 47,263 km (2013)
Unpaved: 35,024 km (2013)

Waterways

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

Military and Security

Military And Security Forces

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: High Command Headquarters, Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force; the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie (military police force responsible for internal security); the National Counter Terrorism Committee; the National Committee for Maritime Security (performs Coast Guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014: 1.66% of GDP
2015: 2.11% of GDP
2016: 1.85% of GDP
2017: 2.09% of GDP
2018: 2.21% of GDP

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 an International Court of Justice 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

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)