One Country a Day - Cambodia
🇰🇭 Cambodia - Day 14 of One Country a Day Project
Today I continue my systematic country study journey with Cambodia — a lower-middle-income Mekong country with a youthful population, strong garment/footwear manufacturing base, deep cultural heritage, and rising integration with regional supply chains.
📊 Quick Facts
- Population: ~17.3 million (2025)
- GDP: ~$34–$38 billion (2024, current US$)
- GDP per capita: ~$1,900–$2,200 (2024, current US$)
- Surface Area: 181,035 km²
- Capital: Phnom Penh
- Major Cities: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang, Sihanoukville, Kampong Cham
- Famous Companies: ACLEDA Bank, Chip Mong Group, Royal Group of Companies
🌍 5-Dimension Analysis
| Dimension | Key data points (evidence) | Score (0–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Natural Resources | Arable land ≈ 23.3% of land; forest cover ≈ 43.9% (2022). Renewable freshwater ≈ 7,400 m³/person (latest WB point). No meaningful oil & gas output after the 2021 KrisEnergy halt; minerals include the Okvau gold mine (114,076 oz in FY24). | 2.7 (TheGlobalEconomy.com, Trading Economics, Index Mundi, MineDocs, Emerald Resources) |
| 2) Climate & Livability | Monsoonal, avg rainfall ~1,836 mm/yr (1991–2020). High exposure to floods & droughts; low climate readiness (ND-GAIN rank 161/…). Regionally high disaster risk per WorldRiskReport methodology. | 2.0 (climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org, ND-GAIN Index) |
| 3) Geo Composite (60% Geo-Defense + 40% Geopolitics) | Geo-Defense: Lowlands around Mekong/Tonlé Sap; short coastline ~443 km on Gulf of Thailand; land borders with TH/LA/VN—limited natural barriers. Geopolitics: ASEAN member (since 1999), RCEP in force since 2022; close China ties; selective Western pressure (EU partial EBA withdrawal in 2020; targeted U.S. sanctions). | 2.6 (user.iiasa.ac.at, ASEAN Main Portal, DFAT, European External Action Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury) |
| 4) Governance & Rule of Law | Freedom House 2025: Not Free, 23/100; TI CPI 2024: 21/100, rank 158/180; EIU Democracy Index 2024: Cambodia classified as authoritarian regime. | 1.2 (Freedom House, Transparency.org, Economist Intelligence Unit) |
| 5) Economy & Development | Lower-middle income: GDP per capita (current US$) **\~$2,628 (2024)**; growth: ~6.0% (2024) WB, ~4.0% (2025 proj.) IMF. Economy concentrated in garments/footwear/travel goods, agri (rice), tourism; integration via RCEP; near-term external-demand & tariff risks. | 2.8 (World Bank Open Data, World Bank, IMF, DFAT) |
🎯 Overall Assessment
Cambodia’s development hinges on sustaining export-led manufacturing while upgrading skills, infrastructure, and governance. Managing climate risk around the Mekong–Tonle Sap system and improving rule of law will be critical to unlocking higher-value investment and raising living standards.
🔍 Key Insights
- Tonle Sap Dynamics: Fisheries and agriculture rely on the flood pulse; upstream hydrology changes have system-wide effects.
- Supply Chain Shift: Beneficiary of China+1 and ASEAN integration, especially in light manufacturing and bikes/electronics assembly.
- Institutional Upgrading: Investment in education, logistics, and governance reforms are the catalysts for moving up the value chain.
- Tourism Rebuild: Siem Reap–Angkor recovery and diversification beyond heritage sites to eco/cultural tourism improve resilience.
📚 Further Reading
🔗 Data Sources & References
Next week, I will study South Asia.
This analysis is part of my “One Country a Day” project, using data-driven approaches to understand global geography, economics, and geopolitics. Follow along as I explore the world, one country at a time.
