| Economy - overview: | In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, the government made progress on economic reforms. The United States and Cambodia signed a Bilateral Textile Agreement, which gave Cambodia a guaranteed quota of US textile imports and established a bonus for improving working conditions and enforcing Cambodian labor laws and international labor standards in the industry. From 2001 to 2004, the economy grew at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an expansion in the garment sector and tourism. With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodia-based textile producers were forced to compete directly with lower priced producing countries such as China and India. Economic growth slowed to an estimated 3.8% in 2005, due to sharply higher competitive pressures in the garment industry and early droughts in 14 of 24 provinces. Faced with the possibility that that its vibrant garment industry, with more than 200,000 jobs, could be in serious danger, the Cambodian government has committed itself to a policy of continued support for high labor standards in an attempt to maintain favor with buyers. The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, with foreign visitors surpassing one million for the year by September 2005. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government continues to work with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs. In December 2004, official donors pledged $504 million in aid for 2005 on the condition that the Cambodian government implement steps to reduce corruption. The 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. More than 50% of the population is 20 years or younger. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fully 75% of the population remains engaged in subsistence farming. |
| GDP - per capita | $2,100 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate (%) | 4% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca |
| GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 32.9%, industry: 29.2%, services: 37.9% (2004) |
| Industries | tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles |
| Economic aid - recipient | $504 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2005 by international donors |
| Debt - external | $800 million (2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line (%) | 40% (2004 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 75% (2004 est.) |
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
