Cambodia

Measured by both income and broader human development indicators, Cambodia is among the poorest countries in the world. According to the UNDP Human Development Report (2001), Cambodia ranks 121 of 162 countries in the world on the human development index. Its population of 13.4 million is growing at about 1.5 % per year (2008 Census). Annual per capita income is US$ 256 (1999).

The 1997 poverty estimates confirm that poverty is pervasive in Cambodia. An estimated 36% of the population lives below the basic needs poverty line.

Poverty in Cambodia is characterized by low income and consumption, poor nutritional status, low educational attainment, less access to public services including school and health services, less access to economic opportunities, vulnerability to external shocks, and exclusion from economic, social and political processes. The relatively high prevalence of HIV/Aids in Cambodia is an additional challenge to the current human development situation.

(Extracts from: Poverty in Cambodia, United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific.)

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