Flag: horizontal band of red separates two equal horizontal bands of blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat in the center
@Cambodia:Economy
Overview: The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working relations with international financial institutions. Growth, starting from a low base, has been strong in 1991-94. Despite such positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough challenges because of the persistence of internal political divisions and the related lack of confidence of foreign investors. Rural Cambodia, where 90% of about 9.5 million Khmer live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural areas over the near term. Moreover, the government's lack of experience in administering economic and technical assistance programs and rampant corruption among officials will slow the growth of critical public sector investment. Inflation for 1994 as a whole was less than a quarter of the 1992 rate and was declining during the year.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $630 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 26%-30% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $190 million
expenditures: $365 million, including capital expenditures of $120
million (1994 est.)
Exports: $283.6 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: timber, rubber, soybeans, sesame
partners: Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia