Cambodia Demographics

What is the population of Cambodia?

Population 16,926,984
Population - note Note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of the population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Population Growth Rate 1.67%
Urban Population 20%
Population in Major Urban Areas PHNOM PENH (capital) 1.55 million
Nationality Noun Cambodian(s)
Nationality Adjective Cambodian
Ethnic Groups Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
Languages Spoken Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Language Note The Khmer language comes from an older language called paali, which developed as a successor to Indian Sanskrit. Khmer has 26 vowels and 33 consonants.

Cambodia Health Information

What are the health conditions in Cambodia?

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 50.5%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 7.88
Diseases - note Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 65.6%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 28.7%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 93.9%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s) Bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 5.7%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.5%
HIV/Aids Deaths 2,700
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population .7
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 45.55
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 59.54
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 52.7
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk Very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 250
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth 22.8
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 2.1%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 63,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population .23
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 63.2%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 81.6%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 25.5%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 2.72
Underweight - percent of children under five years 29%
Vectorborne Disease (s) Dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

Cambodia Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Cambodia?

Life Expectancy at Birth 63 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 65 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 61 Years
Median Age 23 Years
Median Age - female 24 Years
Median Age - male 23 Years

Cambodia Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Cambodia median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 25
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 7.88
Median Age 23 Years
Median Age - female 24 Years
Median Age - male 23 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population -0.33
Population Growth Rate 1.67%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.02
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female .98
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female .95
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female .94
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.05
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female .94
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female .6

Cambodia Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Cambodia?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities and services in Cambodia do not meet international standards. Both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have a limited number of internationally-run clinics and hospitals that can provide basic medical care and stabilization. Medical care outside these two cities is almost non-existent. Local pharmacies provide a limited supply of prescription and over-the-counter medications, but because the quality of locally obtained medications can vary greatly, make sure to bring a supply of your medications that is adequate for the duration of your stay in Cambodia. You should be wary of purchasing local medication. Counterfeit medication is readily available, often indiscernible from authentic medication, and potentially lethal.

Cambodia Education

What is school like in Cambodia?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP 2.6%
Literacy - female 64.1%
Literacy - male 84.7%
Literacy - total population 73.6%
Literacy Definition Age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female 10 Years
School Life Expectancy - male 12 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 11 Years

Cambodia Literacy

Can people in Cambodia read?

Literacy - female 64.1%
Literacy - male 84.7%
Literacy - total population 73.6%
Literacy Definition Age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Khmer (official) 95%, French, English

Cambodia Crime

Is Cambodia a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Cambodia has a high crime rate, including street crime. Military weapons and explosives are readily available to criminals despite authorities’ efforts to collect and destroy such weapons. Armed robberies occur frequently, and foreign residents and visitors, including U.S. citizens, are among the victims. The Embassy has also received reports that hotel rooms of U.S. citizen visitors in Phnom Penh were burglarized while the occupants were asleep.

The most common type of theft is “snatch and grab” robbery, and anything that can be quickly grabbed is at risk: cameras, jewelry, purses, backpacks, mobile phones, etc. Exercise caution and keep belongings out of sight if you travel via “tuk-tuk,” as passengers in these open-air vehicles have been targeted by thieves. If walking along the street, make yourself less of a target by carrying bags or items in your hand or on the shoulder this is furthest from the street. If someone attempts to rob you, you should surrender your valuables immediately, since any perceived resistance may be met with physical violence, including lethal force.

Pickpockets, some of whom are beggars, are present in the markets and at tourist sites. Sometimes they may act overly friendly, placing their hand on your shoulder or back to distract you in order to pick your pocket.

To avoid the risk of theft or confiscation of original documents, the U.S. Embassy advises its personnel and all U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Cambodia to carry photocopies of their U.S. passport, driver's license, and other important documents and to leave the originals in a hotel safe or another secure place. Local police rarely investigate reports of crime against tourists, and travelers should not expect to recover stolen items. It has also been reported that some police stations charge foreigners from $20-$100 to file a police report.

In 2011 and 2012, the U.S. Embassy received reports of presumed ATM/debit card fraud. ATM fraud can take place in many different ways, but the most common method is “skimming” card data as a transaction is made, while simultaneously recording the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that corresponds with the card. Several people have reported that unauthorized transactions have occurred after they have used their ATM cards in Cambodia. In light of these events, you should exercise caution by planning ahead and making copies of your ATM card, front and back, so that if you lose it, you still have the card number and contact information. Use ATMs located in secure areas, such as banks or hotel lobbies. Consider using only a few ATMs, and be aware of their appearance. If something looks unfamiliar about a machine, don’t use it until you have verified that any modification is legitimate. You should also be aware of your surroundings when using an ATM. Robberies are more likely to occur as you depart an ATM, so please stay alert to your surroundings and depart an ATM quickly.

The U.S. Embassy advises its personnel who travel to the provinces to exercise extreme caution outside the provincial towns at all times. Many rural parts of the country remain without effective policing. Avoid walking alone after dusk anywhere in Sihanoukville, especially along the waterfront. You should be particularly vigilant during annual festivals and at tourist sites in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville, where there have been marked increases in motorcycle “snatch and grab” thefts of bags and purses.

If you are visiting Cambodia, you should practice sound personal security awareness by varying your routes and routines, maintaining a low profile, not carrying or displaying large amounts of cash, not wearing flashy or expensive jewelry, and not walking alone after dark. In addition, you should travel by automobile and not use local moto-taxis or cyclos (passenger-carrying bicycles). These vehicles are more vulnerable to armed robberies and offer no protection against injury when involved in traffic accidents.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the ‘bootlegs’ illegal in the United States, but if you purchase them or try to bring them back into the United States you may also be breaking local or federal laws.

Cambodia Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Cambodia, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws, legal systems, and criminal penalties can be vastly different than our own. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. Criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also acts that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Cambodia, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It is very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.

Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Cambodia, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Cambodia Population Comparison

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