Cambodia
Kingdom of Cambodia │ កម្ពុជា
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 US$9.4 billion and employs over 650,000 workers in exporting factories, with 250,000 to 400,000 more workers estimated to be working in the sub-contracting sector. Over 80 per cent of workers in the sector are young women who remit income to support the livelihoods of their families. The industry has made significant contributions to Cambodia’s strong GDP growth and related employment creation. Between 2013 and 2018, the export value of the Cambodian GTF sector grew by 75 per cent.
This sector continues to play a leading role in the Cambodian economy, accounting for approximately 74 per cent of Cambodia’s total merchandise exports in 2018. While traditional markets (US, the EU) have declined recently in significance, continued diversification can be seen in exports to Japanese and Canadian markets and include an emerging export market to China. Despite these impressive numbers, there are concerns that continued growth in the garment sector cannot be sustained. Cambodia’s competitiveness is being challenged by a rapid increase in the minimum wage and a lack of supply chain integration with almost all fabric and materials being imported, mainly from China.
Population
Total
16,767,842 (2022)
Gross Domestic Product
GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)
1,786.6 (2022)
Human Development Index Ranking
HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)
146 (2021)
Garment/Textile Workers
Number of workers in the garment/textile sector
671,509 (2021)
Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry
Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry
82% (2021)
Number of Garment/Textile Factories
Number of factories in the garment/textile industry
718 (2021)
Garment/Textile Industry Exports
(USD$ billion)
USD 11.2 billion (2021)
Garment/Textile Industry Size
Percentage of total exports
64.3% (2021)
Key Garment/Textile Export Markets
Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)
Country | Percentage of Exports |
---|---|
United States | 32.7% |
Japan | 9.52% |
Germany | 9.2% |
United Kingdom | 8.35% |
Canada | 8.3% |
Government Entities
Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry
Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT)
Department of Labour Inspectorate (DoL)
Ministry of Commerce (MoC)
Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF)
Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)
Worker Organizations
Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations
Cambodian Confederation of Trade Union (CCTU)
National Independent Federation Textile Union of Cambodia (NIFTUC)
Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (CCAWDU)
Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC)
Cambodia Federation of Independent Trade Unions (CFITU)
Cambodia Labour Union Federation (CLUF)
Cambodian Union Federation (CUF)
Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce
Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC)
Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations (CAMFEBA)
Cambodia Footwear Association (CFA)
American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham)
Australian Chamber of Commerce (AusCham)
British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham)
Development Agencies/ International Organizations
National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry
Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations
Organizations working within the garment/textile industry
Solidarity Center Cambodia
CARE Cambodia
Sources of data provided
- Population: Population, total | Data (worldbank.org)
- GDP Per Capita: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) | Data (worldbank.org)
- HDI: Country Insights | Human Development Reports (undp.org)
- Garment / Textile Workers: Cambodia Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods Sector Brief Issue No. 1 November 2022, Huot Chea, GIZ, ILO, TAFTAC
*Figures are for Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods (GFT) - Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: Cambodia Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods Sector Brief Issue No. 1 November 2022, Huot Chea, GIZ, ILO, TAFTAC
*Figures are for Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods (GFT) - Number of Garment / Textile Factories: Cambodia Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods Sector Brief Issue No. 1 November 2022, Huot Chea, GIZ, ILO, TAFTAC
*Figures are for Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods (GFT) - Garment / Textile Industry Exports: Cambodia Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods Sector Brief Issue No. 1 November 2022, Huot Chea, GIZ, ILO, TAFTAC
*Figures are for Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods (GFT) - Garment / Textile Industry Size: Exports of goods and services (current US$) - Cambodia | Data (worldbank.org); Cambodia Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods Sector Brief Issue No. 1 November 2022, Huot Chea, GIZ, ILO, TAFTAC
*Figures are for Garment, Footwear and Travel Goods (GFT) - Key Garment / Textile Export Market: https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/KHM/Year/2019/TradeFlow/Export/Partner/all/Product/50-63_TextCloth
*Textiles and Clothing Exports in 2020
News on Cambodia
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The Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour called on all factory owners to participate in a national competition to promote a culture of harmony within factories under the theme ‘ Peaceful Community’ at the 16th meeting of the Textile, Garment, Footwear, and Travel Products Association of Cambodia on Saturday.
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The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training has issued guidelines for garment factories to prevent occupational hazards from happening during flash floods.
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View all2024-07-14 00:00:00+07:00 to 2024-07-17 23:59:59+07:00 UTC+07
Phnom Penh, Cambodia