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 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.
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Geography
Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
Geographic coordinates
13 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references
Southeast Asia
Area - comparative
one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Land boundaries
total: 2,530 km
border countries (3): Laos 555 km; Thailand 817 km; Vietnam 1158 km
Coastline
443 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Elevation
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
mean elevation: 126 m
Natural resources
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 32.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 22.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 8.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 56.5% (2018 est.)
other: 11.4% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
3,540 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Tonle Sap - 2,700-16,000 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Mekong (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)
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
Natural hazards
monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts
Geography - note
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake)
People and Society
Population
total: 17,063,669
male: 8,277,588
female: 8,786,081 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 73; male 73; total 73
Nationality
noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian
Ethnic groups
Khmer 95.4%, Cham 2.4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 0.7% (2019-20 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.
Religions
Buddhist (official) 97.1%, Muslim 2%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.5% (2019 est.)
Demographic profile
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.
Age structure
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)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 53.4
youth dependency ratio: 45
elderly dependency ratio: 8.5
potential support ratio: 11.8 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 27.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 26.9 years
female: 28.9 years
comparison ranking: total 154
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
Urbanization
urban population: 25.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.281 million PHNOM PENH (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
23.3 years (2021-22 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Infant mortality rate
total: 27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.4 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 54
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.4 years (2024 est.)
male: 69.6 years
female: 73.3 years
comparison ranking: total population 169
Gross reproduction rate
1.06 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
56.3% (2014)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 99.3% of population
rural: 80.6% of population
total: 85.1% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.7% of population
rural: 19.4% of population
total: 14.9% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
7.5% of GDP (2020)
Physician density
0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density
1.9 beds/1,000 population (2016)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 69.3% of population
total: 76.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 30.7% of population
total: 23.2% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria
animal contact diseases: Rabies
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 4.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 4.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 87
Tobacco use
total: 21.1% (2020 est.)
male: 36.1% (2020 est.)
female: 6% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 79
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
66.4% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.9%
male: 88.4%
female: 79.8% (2021)
Environment
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, 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
Climate
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Land use
agricultural land: 32.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 22.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 8.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 56.5% (2018 est.)
other: 11.4% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 25.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 17.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 9.92 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 14.88 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.089 million tons (2014 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Tonle Sap - 2,700-16,000 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Mekong (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 2.05 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
476.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic transliteration)
local short form: Kampuchea
former: Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
etymology: the English name Cambodia is an anglicization of the French Cambodge, which is the French transliteration of the native name Kampuchea
Government type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Phnom Penh
geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
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)
Independence
9 November 1953 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 9 November (1953)
Legal system
civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law
Constitution
history: previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN MANET (since 22 August 2023)
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
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
note: MANET succeeded his father, HUN SEN, who had been prime minister since 1985
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)
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)
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%
note: the CPP had no meaningful opposition in the July 2023 legislative election as the only serious challenger - the Candlelight Party - was disqualified on a technicality in advance of the election; the EU, UN, and US condemned the poll as neither free nor fair
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
Candlelight Party or CP
Cambodian People's Party or CPP
Khmer Will Party or KWP
note 1: 18 parties registered to run in the 2023 parliamentary election
note 2: the Cambodian Government disqualified the Candlelight Party, the main opposition party, from the July 2023 election
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, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador KEO Chhea (since 19 April 2022)
chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742
FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://www.embassyofcambodiadc.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador W. Patrick MURPHY (since 23 October 2019)
embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
mailing address: 4540 Phnom Penh Place, Washington DC 20521-4540
telephone: [855] (23) 728-000
FAX: [855] (23) 728-700
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://kh.usembassy.gov/
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
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)
National symbol(s)
Angkor Wat temple, kouprey (wild ox); national colors: red, blue
National anthem
name: "Nokoreach" (Royal Kingdom)
lyrics/music: CHUON NAT/F. PERRUCHOT and J. JEKYLL
note: adopted 1941, restored 1993; the anthem, based on a Cambodian folk tune, was restored after the defeat of the Communist regime
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (all cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Angkor; Temple of Preah Vihear; Sambor Prei Kuk; Koh Ker: Archaeological Site of Ancient Lingapora or Chok Gargyar
Economy
Economic overview
one of the fastest growing economies; tourism and clothing exports; substantial manufacturing and construction sectors; COVID-19 declines and the suspension of EU market preferential access; massive reductions in poverty, but rural areas remain disproportionately poor
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$85.9 billion (2023 est.)
$81.499 billion (2022 est.)
$77.442 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 100
Real GDP growth rate
5.4% (2023 est.)
5.24% (2022 est.)
3.03% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 40
Real GDP per capita
$5,100 (2023 est.)
$4,900 (2022 est.)
$4,700 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 178
GDP (official exchange rate)
$31.773 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.13% (2023 est.)
5.34% (2022 est.)
2.92% (2021 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 41
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: B2 (2007)
Standard & Poors rating: N/A (2014)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 25.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 32.8% (2017 est.)
services: 41.9% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 206; industry 61; agriculture 28
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 76% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 5.4% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 68.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -73% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
cassava, rice, maize, sugarcane, vegetables, oil palm fruit, rubber, bananas, jute, pork (2022)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Industrial production growth rate
4.3% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 57
Labor force
9.175 million (2023 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 58
Unemployment rate
0.24% (2023 est.)
0.25% (2022 est.)
0.4% (2021 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 2
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 0.8% (2023 est.)
male: 0.7% (2023 est.)
female: 0.9% (2023 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 200
Population below poverty line
16.5% (2016 est.)
Average household expenditures
on food: 42.7% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 1.9% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Remittances
8.81% of GDP (2023 est.)
8.87% of GDP (2022 est.)
9.42% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $7.254 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $6.452 billion (2019 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
16.36% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 124
Current account balance
$552.607 million (2023 est.)
-$7.582 billion (2022 est.)
-$10.893 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 64
Exports
$27.753 billion (2023 est.)
$25.497 billion (2022 est.)
$20.178 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 82
Exports - partners
US 36%, Vietnam 10%, Germany 7%, Japan 5%, Canada 5% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
garments, trunks and cases, footwear, cassava, shoes (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$29.42 billion (2023 est.)
$34.759 billion (2022 est.)
$32.816 billion (2021 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 81
Imports - partners
China 30%, Thailand 19%, Singapore 18%, Vietnam 13%, Switzerland 3% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
gold, refined petroleum, fabric, plastic products, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$17.801 billion (2022 est.)
$20.27 billion (2021 est.)
$21.328 billion (2020 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 64
Debt - external
$11.87 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 107
Exchange rates
riels (KHR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
4,110.653 (2023 est.)
4,102.038 (2022 est.)
4,098.723 (2021 est.)
4,092.783 (2020 est.)
4,061.149 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 92.3% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 99%
electrification - rural areas: 88%
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 3.204 million kW (2022 est.)
consumption: 11.001 billion kWh (2022 est.)
imports: 3.566 billion kWh (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.38 billion kWh (2022 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 114; imports 52; consumption 99; installed generating capacity 106
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 49.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
hydroelectricity: 45.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
biomass and waste: 1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Coal
production: 113,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
consumption: 2.215 million metric tons (2022 est.)
imports: 2.265 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 73,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
14.396 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 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.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 96
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 38,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 162
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 19.505 million (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 116 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 65
Telecommunication systems
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)
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)
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)
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 users
total: 10.2 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 60% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 58
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 233,732 (2020 est.) Slowly increase as focus is on mobile internet
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 114
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 25
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,411,059 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 680,000 (2018) mt-km
Heliports
1 (2024)
Railways
total: 642 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 642 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
note: under restoration
comparison ranking: total 106
Merchant marine
total: 195 (2023)
by type: container ship 2, general cargo 123, oil tanker 18, other 52
comparison ranking: total 69
Ports
total ports: 2 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 1
small: 0
very small: 1
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Kampong Saom, Phsar Ream
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF): Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie; the National Committee for Maritime Security (2023)
note 1: the National Committe for Maritime Security performs coast guard functions and has representation from military and civilian agencies
note 2: the Cambodian National Police are under the Ministry of Interior
Military expenditures
2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2019 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 61
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; approximately 100,000 total active troops including less than 5,000 Navy and Air Force personnel; approximately 10,000 Gendarmerie (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
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 a variety of suppliers, particularly China (2024)
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 service age and obligation
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)
note: as of 2018, women made up an estimated 6% of the active-duty military
Military deployments
340 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 180 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)
Military - note
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 partner
the 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 1999
Cambodia 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)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
stateless persons: 75,000 (2022)
Trafficking in persons
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/
Illicit drugs
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)