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About
Cambodia:
Capital: Phnom Penh
Population: 13,607,069
Median Age: 19.91 years
Life Expectancy: 58.87 years
Ethnicities: Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%
Languages: Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
Religions: Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%
Literacy Rate: 69.4% ( male: 80.8%; female: 59.3%)
Population Below Poverty Line: ~40%
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 Despite
the recent increase of political stability and peace after decades
of war, Cambodia still
suffers from a lack of basic
infrastructure and resources, especially in the countryside. 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. Annual per capita income
is ~ US$ 280. An estimated 36% of the population lives below the
basic needs poverty line. Poverty rate is higher in rural areas (40%),
which is four times higher than in Phnom Penh (10%). Rural households,
especially those for whom agriculture is the primary source of income,
account for almost 90 % of the poor.
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.
 Cambodia women play an active role in the country's economy and civil society.
They represent 53% of the active labor force and head 25% of Cambodian households.
In parallel, women face constraints in all areas of life. They continue to face
substantial discrimination on the labor market, earning 30% to 40% less than
men. The literacy rate for men is significantly higher than women and male school
enrollment is 50% higher than that of girls by age 15, and nearly three times
as large by age 18. Poor access to quality health services, including maternal
and child health services exacerbate the problem of poor reproductive health.
Cambodia has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in Asia (about 500
deaths per 100,000 live births).
While significant
progress has been made in drafting and passing legislation to protect the rights
of women, law enforcement is weak. Discrimination and violence against women--often underreported-- remains a serious problem. The poor of Cambodia include
many people who are at risk of being left behind as the
economy
grows. This
includes the disabled, aged, orphans, widows, the landless and the unemployed,
subsistence farmers, indigenous and ethnic minorities and particular groups of
the urban poor. |
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