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. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953.
Geography
Area
total: 181,035 sq km
land: 176,515 sq km
water: 4,520 sq km
Climate
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
Natural resources
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land
People and Society
Population
16,891,245 (2023 est.)
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.)
Religions
Buddhist (official) 97.1%, Muslim 2%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.5% (2019 est.)
Population growth rate
1.04% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Phnom Penh
Executive branch
chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN MANET (since 22 August 2023); 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)
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)
$72.238 billion (2021 est.)
$70.116 billion (2020 est.)
$72.356 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$4,400 (2021 est.)
$4,300 (2020 est.)
$4,500 (2019 est.)
Agricultural products
cassava, rice, maize, vegetables, sugar cane, soybeans, rubber, oil palm fruit, bananas, pork
Industries
tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Remittances
4.28% of GDP (2021 est.)
4.92% of GDP (2020 est.)
5.63% of GDP (2019 est.)
Exports
$20.126 billion (2021 est.)
$20.29 billion (2020 est.)
$21.072 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 35%, China 7%, Germany 7%, Vietnam 7%, Japan 6% (2021)
Exports - commodities
clothing and footwear, trunks and cases, rice, rubber, light fixtures (2021)
Imports
$32.83 billion (2021 est.)
$23.091 billion (2020 est.)
$25.516 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners
China 27%, Thailand 25%, Vietnam 15%, Singapore 8% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, clothing, gold, cars, flavored water (2019)
Exchange rates
riels (KHR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
4,098.723 (2021 est.)
4,092.783 (2020 est.)
4,061.149 (2019 est.)
4,051.167 (2018 est.)
4,050.58 (2017 est.)
Page last updated: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
