Cambodia

Kingdom of Cambodia │ ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា

Cambodia has made significant economic growth driven by solid performances in the garment manufacturing sector. Cambodia’s garment, textiles and footwear (GTF) sector is worth USD 12.8 billion and employs over 833,100 workers. Over 75 per cent of workers in the sector are young women who remit income to support the livelihoods of their families. The industry has made significant contributions to Cambodia’s strong GDP growth and related employment creation. Between 2013 and 2018, the export value of the Cambodian GTF sector grew by 75 per cent.

This sector continues to play a leading role in the Cambodian economy, accounting for approximately 62 per cent of Cambodia’s total merchandise exports in 2022. While traditional markets (US, the EU) have declined recently in significance, continued diversification can be seen in exports to Japanese and Canadian markets and include an emerging export market to China. Despite these impressive numbers, there are concerns that continued growth in the garment sector cannot be sustained. Cambodia’s competitiveness is being challenged by a rapid increase in the minimum wage and a lack of supply chain integration with almost all fabric and materials being imported, mainly from China.

Country Profile Industry Stakeholders Sources

Population

Total

16,944,826 (2023)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

$1,488.81 (2022)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

148 (2022)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

833,100 (2023)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

76.4% (2023)

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

1,332 (2023)

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 12.8 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

62.26% (2022)

Minimum Wage

Monthly minimum wage in USD

USD 204 (2024)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country	Percentage of Exports
United States	38%
Japan	8%
United Kingdom	6%
China	3%
European Union	27%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT)
Department of Labour Inspectorate (DoL)
Ministry of Commerce (MoC)
Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF)
Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

Cambodian Confederation of Trade Union (CCTU)
National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia (NIFTUC)
Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU)
Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC)
Cambodia Federation of Independent Trade Unions (CFITU)
Cambodia Labour Union Federation (CLUF)
Cambodian Union Federation (CUF)

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC)
Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations (CAMFEBA)
Cambodia Footwear Association (CFA)
American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham)
Australian Chamber of Commerce (AusCham)
British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham)

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Solidarity Center Cambodia
CARE Cambodia

Sources of data provided

Population: https://population.un.org/dataportal/data/indicators/49/locations/586,50,116,608,764,144,704/start/2023/end/2023/table
GDP Per Capita: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD
HDI: https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/KHM
Garment / Textile Workers: https://www.towelassociation.com/documents/An_Introduction_to_Cambodia.pdf
Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: https://www.ilo.org/infostories/en-GB/Stories/discrimination/garment-gender#the-global-garment-industry-a-bird%E2%80%99s-eye-view-(1
Number of Garment / Textile Factories: https://www.towelassociation.com/documents/An_Introduction_to_Cambodia.pdf
Garment / Textile Industry Exports: https://asiagarmenthub.net/Members/7dca5a896d134519998773c36026a576/cambodia-garment-footwear-and-travel-goods-sector-brief-issue-no-2
Garment / Textile Industry Size: https://asiagarmenthub.net/Members/7dca5a896d134519998773c36026a576/cambodia-garment-footwear-and-travel-goods-sector-brief-issue-no-2
Minimum Wage: https://asiagarmenthub.net/Members/7dca5a896d134519998773c36026a576/cambodia-garment-footwear-and-travel-goods-sector-brief-issue-no-2
Key Garment / Textile Export Market: https://asiagarmenthub.net/Members/7dca5a896d134519998773c36026a576/cambodia-garment-footwear-and-travel-goods-sector-brief-issue-no-2

What's going on in Cambodia

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News on Cambodia

Clean Clothes Campaign strongly condemns the ongoing smear campaign against independent labour rights NGO in Cambodia

The Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) recently published a report on Freedom of Association in the garment industry, and was confronted with a smear campaign and false accusations shortly after.

Human rights and responsible business conduct in Asia Pacific’s textile sector

On 5-6 June, IndustriALL Asia-Pacific affiliates met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for a workshop on human rights due diligence and a stakeholder roundtable focused on responsible business conduct and industrial relations.

Cambodia's apparel industry resilient, exports up 20% in Jan-Apr 2024

Cambodia's apparel exports grew by 20.80 per cent in the first 4 months of 2024, representing 32.42 per cent of its foreign income. This increase reflects a continued momentum in the textile sector, with exports of knitted and non-knitted clothing accessories also seeing significant rises.

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