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 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.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 of about 9% of GDP since 2011.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Exchange rates:
$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
$22.25 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
6.9% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
7.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$4,000 (2017 est.)
$3,800 (2016 est.)
$3,600 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 178
13.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
14.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
13.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 76.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 5.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 22%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 62.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -67.4% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 25.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 32.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 41.9% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc, tapioca), silk
tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
10.6% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
7.897 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 48.7%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 19.9%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 31.5% (2013 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
0.3% (2017 est.)
0.2% (2012 est.)
note: according to official statistics; underemployment is high
country comparison to the world: 2
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
17.7% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 28% (2013 est.)
37.9 (2008 est.)
41.9 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $4.268 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $4.69 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
19.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-1.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
28.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
29.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
3.7% (2017 est.)
3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
NA% (31 December 2012)
5.25% (31 December 2007)
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
11.1% (31 December 2017 est.)
11.36% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$1.999 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.748 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$16.82 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$14.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$13.71 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.82 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$1.904 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.776 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$10.45 billion (2017 est.)
$9.233 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear
US 21.3%, UK 9.4%, Germany 9%, Japan 8.2%, Canada 6.5%, China 6%, Thailand 4.2%, Spain 4% (2016)
$14.34 billion (2017 est.)
$12.65 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products
China 35.3%, Thailand 14.8%, Vietnam 11%, Singapore 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, Hong Kong 4% (2016)
$11.29 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$9.122 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$11.34 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$29.17 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
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.)