Cambodia’s population increases by 16% to over 15M

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Cambodia has registered a population growth of nearly 16% in a decade since 2008 with the kingdom’s population hitting 15 million.

Interior Minister Sar Kheng said: “The final [census] results on March 3, 2019, [showed] there are 15.5 million Cambodians, an increase of 16% from 13.4 million people in 2008,” daily Phnom Penh Post reported on Wednesday.

He added that the annual growth rate stood at 1.4% for 2019.

“The growth rate dropped from 1.5% in 2008,” he added, crediting it to “successful implementation of the National Population Policy and efforts to better educate the public about the use of birth control and family planning.”

Kheng, who is also the chairman of National Committee for the General Population Census, said: “More than 50,000 census officials had contacted 3.5 million families to gather information across the country.”

Data from census, which cost Cambodia $9.9 million, also noted that the population density had increased from 75 people per square kilometer in 2008 to 87 per square kilometer in 2019 with the capital Phnom Penh having highest population density in the country with 3,361 people per square kilometer of land.

Data from the country’s National Institute of Statistics said the per capita gross domestic product in 2019 was $1,694, which is 230% rise from $739 in 2008.

- Premier donates 7-month salary to COVID-19 fight

Meanwhile, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has said he is donating his salary for the next seven months to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Cambodia has reported a total of 460 COVID-19 cases with 412 recoveries until Tuesday night.

“Due to the ongoing global crisis caused by COVID-19 and its continued impact on Cambodia, I would like to announce that I will donate my entire salary after taxes to the Health Ministry for another seven months, from February to August 2021,” Hun Sen said. The amount will be around $16,000.