Economy - overview:
Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the
regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting.
Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999, the first full
year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and
growth resumed at 5.0%. Despite severe flooding, GDP grew at 5.0% in
2000, 6.3% in 2001, and 5.2% in 2002. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest
growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in 2000 and up another 40% in
2001 before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Even
given these stout growth estimates, the long-term development of the
economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The
population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in
the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total
lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability
and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment
and delay foreign aid. The government is addressing these issues
with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $20.42 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 20%
services: 40% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
36% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.4 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
6 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.8% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $396 million
expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $254
million (2001 est.)
Industries:
tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products,
rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
16% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
119 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 65%
hydro: 35%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
110.6 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
3,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
rice, rubber, corn, vegetables
Exports:
$1.38 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities:
timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish
Exports - partners:
US 60.2%, Germany 9.1%, UK 7.1%, Singapore 4.4% (2002)
Imports:
$1.73 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials,
machinery, motor vehicles
Imports - partners:
Thailand 24.8%, Singapore 16.9%, China 12.1%, Hong Kong 10.9%,
South Korea 5.5%, Vietnam 5.2% (2002)
Debt - external:
$829 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by
international donors
Currency:
riel (KHR)
Currency code:
KHR
Exchange rates:
riels per US dollar - 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001), 3,840.75
(2000), 3,807.83 (1999), 3,744.42 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year