GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

A vibrant aerial view of Wat Phnom, surrounded by lush greenery in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, capturing its significance and cityscape.Aerial view of a Cambodian temple by the Mekong River during a beautiful sunset, capturing the serene and spiritual atmosphere.

Cambodia

Asia · South-Eastern Asia

Medium safetyVery affordable cost of livingMedium development

Few locals speak English well.

BackpackerVery affordable cost of living.
vs Thailandvs Vietnam
Safety

95th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.075lower is more peacefulMedium safety
#95 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Safety index
50.3Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferModerateNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$2,750national income per person, US dollarsLow
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
10.0New York = 100AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
36.2years of median income to buy a median flatVery expensiveNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 369% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 140% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$5.0K$10K$8,543 PPP$2,872Inflation, % a year25%0200620102015202020252006, $612 a person, $2,297 at PPP, inflation 5.8%2007, $732 a person, $2,566 at PPP, inflation 8.7%2008, $866 a person, $2,769 at PPP, inflation 24.1%2009, $876 a person, $2,854 at PPP, inflation -1.2%2010, $952 a person, $2,989 at PPP, inflation 4%2011, $1,089 a person, $3,223 at PPP, inflation 5.5%2012, $1,193 a person, $3,583 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2013, $1,306 a person, $3,891 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2014, $1,432 a person, $4,118 at PPP, inflation 3.9%2015, $1,547 a person, $4,434 at PPP, inflation 1.2%2016, $1,675 a person, $4,748 at PPP, inflation 3%2017, $1,826 a person, $5,050 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2018, $2,037 a person, $5,617 at PPP, inflation 2.5%2019, $2,226 a person, $6,154 at PPP, inflation 1.9%2020, $2,082 a person, $5,942 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2021, $2,167 a person, $6,226 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2022, $2,325 a person, $6,918 at PPP, inflation 5.3%2023, $2,430 a person, $7,437 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2024, $2,628 a person, $7,982 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2025, $2,872 a person, $8,543 at PPP, inflation 2.4%$0$5.0K$10KInflation, % a year25%0200620102015202020252006, $612 a person, $2,297 at PPP, inflation 5.8%2007, $732 a person, $2,566 at PPP, inflation 8.7%2008, $866 a person, $2,769 at PPP, inflation 24.1%2009, $876 a person, $2,854 at PPP, inflation -1.2%2010, $952 a person, $2,989 at PPP, inflation 4%2011, $1,089 a person, $3,223 at PPP, inflation 5.5%2012, $1,193 a person, $3,583 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2013, $1,306 a person, $3,891 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2014, $1,432 a person, $4,118 at PPP, inflation 3.9%2015, $1,547 a person, $4,434 at PPP, inflation 1.2%2016, $1,675 a person, $4,748 at PPP, inflation 3%2017, $1,826 a person, $5,050 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2018, $2,037 a person, $5,617 at PPP, inflation 2.5%2019, $2,226 a person, $6,154 at PPP, inflation 1.9%2020, $2,082 a person, $5,942 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2021, $2,167 a person, $6,226 at PPP, inflation 2.9%2022, $2,325 a person, $6,918 at PPP, inflation 5.3%2023, $2,430 a person, $7,437 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2024, $2,628 a person, $7,982 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2025, $2,872 a person, $8,543 at PPP, inflation 2.4%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Below-average life expectancy

Life expectancy
70.8years, at birthModerate
#128 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
62WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100LowWHO · 2023
Air pollution
20.8PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Fast home internet

Unemployment rate
0.3%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
52 Mbpsmedian download speedFastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
390EF English Proficiency Index scoreVery lowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet52 MbpsFast
Mobile159 MbpsFast

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Aerial view of a Cambodian temple by the Mekong River during a beautiful sunset, capturing the serene and spiritual atmosphere.
How it changed

Cambodia's Human Development Index

0.606Medium human development

151st of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 39th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #149Micronesia0.615
  2. #150Myanmar0.609
  3. #151Cambodia0.606
  4. #152Comoros0.603
  5. #153Zimbabwe0.598
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.387 in 1990 to 0.606 in 2023.

0.350.500.650.60619902000201020231990: 0.3871991: 0.3921992: 0.3961993: 0.3991994: 0.4001995: 0.4041996: 0.4081997: 0.4141998: 0.4191999: 0.4292000: 0.4382001: 0.4532002: 0.4732003: 0.4882004: 0.5022005: 0.5142006: 0.5252007: 0.5342008: 0.5392009: 0.5392010: 0.5432011: 0.5472012: 0.5512013: 0.5542014: 0.5572015: 0.5622016: 0.5702017: 0.5782018: 0.5862019: 0.5932020: 0.5952021: 0.5942022: 0.6022023: 0.6060.350.500.6519902000201020231990: 0.3871991: 0.3921992: 0.3961993: 0.3991994: 0.4001995: 0.4041996: 0.4081997: 0.4141998: 0.4191999: 0.4292000: 0.4382001: 0.4532002: 0.4732003: 0.4882004: 0.5022005: 0.5142006: 0.5252007: 0.5342008: 0.5392009: 0.5392010: 0.5432011: 0.5472012: 0.5512013: 0.5542014: 0.5572015: 0.5622016: 0.5702017: 0.5782018: 0.5862019: 0.5932020: 0.5952021: 0.5942022: 0.6022023: 0.606

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
70.8 years2024at birthUp 6.7 years from 64.1 years in 2005
Internet users
68%2024of people onlineUp 68 points from 0% in 2006
Urban population
41%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 22 points from 19% in 2006
Births per woman
2.552024births per womanDown 0.69 from 3.24 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
52%2021of energy usedDown 28 points from 81% in 2004
Access to electricity
99%2024of people with electricityUp 79 points from 21% in 2005
Infant mortality
162024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 37 from 54 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
1.1 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 0.9 t from 0.2 t in 2005
Forest area
43%2023of land under forestDown 18 points from 61% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Ultra cheap with easy long-stay visas; recovering from a tragic history and growing fast. The case against is little English among locals, low incomes and patchy access to essential health services.

About Cambodia

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country whose most famous sight, the temple complex of Angkor Wat, is only the beginning of what it offers. The Mekong River, the floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake, and the tropical beaches of the south complement a culture of deep Buddhist tradition and extraordinary resilience. The warmth of Cambodian people, given the weight of recent history, is something visitors consistently find humbling and memorable.

Practical facts

  • CapitalPhnom Penh
  • LanguagesKhmer
  • CurrencyCambodian riel (KHR)
  • Area176,520 km²
  • Plug typeType A/B/C/F/G
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Cambodia's Human Development Index?

Cambodia's Human Development Index is 0.606 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #151 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Cambodia safe?

Cambodia scores 2.08 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #95 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Cambodia?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Cambodia at 34.8 (New York = 100); that is #46 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Cambodia?

Life expectancy at birth in Cambodia is 70.8 yrs (World Bank), ranked #128 of 195 countries.