Cambodia

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

total: 4,080,372 | percent of population: 25.6% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Telephone system

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 | domestic: fixed-line connections stand at about 1.5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, aided by competition among service providers, has increased to about 125 per 100 persons | 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) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 227,261 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.5 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 19,915,503 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $4.268 billion | expenditures: $4.69 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Central bank discount rate

NA% (31 December 2012) | 5.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.1% (31 December 2017 est.) | 11.36% (31 December 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73

Current account balance

-$1.904 billion (2017 est.) | -$1.776 billion (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Debt - external

$11.34 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $10.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.9 (2008 est.) | 41.9 (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

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 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 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 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 - | 4,055 (2017 est.) | 4,058.7 (2016 est.) | 4,058.7 (2015 est.) | 4,067.8 (2014 est.) | 4,037.5 (2013 est.)

Exports

$10.45 billion (2017 est.) | $9.233 billion (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 21.3%, UK 9.4%, Germany 9%, Japan 8.2%, Canada 6.5%, China 6%, Thailand 4.2%, Spain 4% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$22.25 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$64.21 billion (2017 est.) | $60.04 billion (2016 est.) | $56.09 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars | country comparison to the world: 106

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 76.4% | government consumption: 5.4% | investment in fixed capital: 22% | investment in inventories: 0.9% | exports of goods and services: 62.8% | imports of goods and services: -67.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 25.3% | industry: 32.8% | services: 41.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,000 (2017 est.) | $3,800 (2016 est.) | $3,600 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars | country comparison to the world: 180

GDP - real growth rate

6.9% (2017 est.) | 7% (2016 est.) | 7.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Gross national saving

13.6% of GDP (2017 est.) | 14.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 13.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2% | highest 10%: 28% (2013 est.)

Imports

$14.34 billion (2017 est.) | $12.65 billion (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 35.3%, Thailand 14.8%, Vietnam 11%, Singapore 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, Hong Kong 4% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

10.6% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.7% (2017 est.) | 3% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Labor force

7.897 million (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Labor force - by occupation

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

28.2% of GDP (2017 est.) | 29.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$11.29 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $9.122 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Stock of broad money

$16.82 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $14.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$29.17 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Stock of domestic credit

$13.71 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $11.82 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Stock of narrow money

$1.999 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.748 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Taxes and other revenues

19.2% of GDP (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Unemployment rate

0.3% (2017 est.) | 0.2% (2012 est.) | note: according to official statistics; underemployment is high | country comparison to the world: 2

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

6.5 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 116

Electricity - consumption

4.952 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Electricity - from fossil fuels

37.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

60.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Electricity - imports

1.526 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.542 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Electricity - production

4.236 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Electricity access

population without electricity: 9,900,000 | electrification - total population: 34% | electrification - urban areas: 97% | electrification - rural areas: 18% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 122

Refined petroleum products - consumption

39,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Refined petroleum products - imports

37,930 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Area

total: 181,035 sq km | land: 176,515 sq km | water: 4,520 sq km | country comparison to the world: 91

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

mean elevation: 126 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m | highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 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

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

total: 2,530 km | border countries (3): Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1,158 km

Land use

agricultural land: 32.1% | arable land 22.7%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 8.5% | 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

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 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

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 Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Ratanakiri, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Tbong Khmum | municipalities: Phnom Penh (Phnum Penh)

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)

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

previous 1947; latest promulgated 21 September 1993; amended 1999, 2008, 2014 (2016)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador William A. HEIDT (since 2 December 2015) | mailing address: Unit 8166, Box P, APO AP 96546 | telephone: [855] (23) 728-000 | FAX: [855] (23) 728-600

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador CHUM BUN RONG (since 3 August 2015) | chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 | telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 | FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381

Executive branch

chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004) | 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, NHEK BUNCHHAY (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) | 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

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 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

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

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) | note: two seats will be added to the National Assembly in 2018, for a total of 125 | elections: Senate - last held on 4 February 2012 (next to be held on 25 February 2018); National Assembly - last held on 28 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2018) | 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 | note: as of November 2017, National Assembly seats by party - CPP 79, FUNCINPEC 41, CNP 2, KEDP 1 ; CNRP's National Assembly seats were redistributed following its dissolution on 16 November 2017

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 holiday

Independence Day, 9 November (1953)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Cambodian National Rescue Party or CNRP [KHEM SOKHA] (dissolved by the government 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] | National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF [John CLARK] (anti-corruption organization) | Students Movement for Democracy | The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel [Koul PANHA] | other: human rights organizations; labor unions; youth groups

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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. 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’s President Kem Sokha in September 2017 and subsequently dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 and banned its leaders from participating in politics for at least five years. CNRP’s seats in the National Assembly were redistributed to smaller, more pliant opposition parties.

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)

Military expenditures

1.85% of GDP (2016) | 2.11% of GDP (2015) | 1.66% of GDP (2014) | 1.58% of GDP (2013) | 1.55% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 60

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.01% (male 2,537,753/female 2,487,633) | 15-24 years: 18.36% (male 1,471,965/female 1,503,977) | 25-54 years: 40.68% (male 3,229,901/female 3,361,475) | 55-64 years: 5.69% (male 374,663/female 547,971) | 65 years and over: 4.25% (male 258,584/female 430,564) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

23 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

23.9% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 18

Contraceptive prevalence rate

56.3% (2014)

Death rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 109

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 55.6 | youth dependency ratio: 49.2 | elderly dependency ratio: 6.4 | potential support ratio: 15.6 (2015 est.)

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.)

Education expenditures

1.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 152

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.6% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,800 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

71,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Health expenditures

5.7% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 115

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 47.4 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 53.8 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 40.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.9 years | male: 62.4 years | female: 67.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 77.2% | male: 84.5% | female: 70.5% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

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 ratio

161 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

Median age

total: 25.3 years | male: 24.6 years | female: 26 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.9 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cambodian(s) | adjective: Cambodian

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.9% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 188

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

16,204,486 | 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 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

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

Population growth rate

1.52% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years | male: 11 years | female: 10 years (2008)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 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 | total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.52 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 0.5% | male: 0.7% | female: 0.4% | note: according to official statistics (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Urbanization

urban population: 21.2% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

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

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)

Airports

16 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 142

Airports - with paved runways

total: 6 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 10 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 7 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

XU (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 442 | by type: container ship 3, general cargo 328, oil tanker 26, other 85 (2017) | country comparison to the world: 43

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 4 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,103,880 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,301,260 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom) | river port(s): Phnom Penh (Mekong)

Railways

total: 642 km | narrow gauge: 642 km 1.000-m gauge | note: under restoration (2014) | country comparison to the world: 108

Roadways

total: 44,709 km | paved: 3,607 km | unpaved: 41,102 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 80

Waterways

3,700 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 28