Cambodia Population
Cambodia had an estimated population of 17,847,982 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 72nd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.22% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +1.18% a year.
Cambodia at a glance
How Cambodia's population is changing
Cambodia's population is growing: +1.18% a year, which works out to about +210,416 people per year, or +576 a day. Births (20.3 per 1,000) and deaths (6.5 per 1,000) alone would give +1.39% a year; net migration removes about 31,469 people a year (−0.18%). Roughly one in every 460 people on Earth lives in Cambodia.
Population of Cambodia since 1960
In 1960, Cambodia had 5,449,966 people. By 2025 that was 17,847,982 — 3.3× larger. The fastest growth came between 1988 and 1998, when the population rose by 77%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5,449,966 | — |
| 1970 | 6,639,182 | +21.8% |
| 1980 | 5,199,872 | −21.7% |
| 1990 | 7,374,752 | +41.8% |
| 2000 | 12,462,336 | +69.0% |
| 2010 | 14,500,726 | +16.4% |
| 2020 | 16,725,474 | +15.3% |
| 2025 | 17,847,982 | +6.7% |
Cambodia from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Cambodia at about 2,090,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 17,847,981 in 2025 (9× 1800) and projects 22,738,860 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2078 at 23,387,216 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 2,090,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 2,236,610 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 2,839,483 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 4,375,252 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 12,462,343 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 17,847,981 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 21,931,455 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 23,373,134 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 22,738,860 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Cambodia
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 17,847,982. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phnom Penh | 2,261,055 | UN urban centre | 12.67% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Takeo | 843,931 | GeoNames settlement | 4.73% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Siem Reap | 352,948 | UN urban centre | 1.98% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Battambang | 179,778 | UN urban centre | 1.01% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Sihanoukville | 105,307 | UN urban centre | 0.59% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Paoy Paet | 98,934 | GeoNames settlement | 0.55% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Dangkao | 76,421 | GeoNames settlement | 0.43% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Kampong Chhnang | 75,244 | GeoNames settlement | 0.42% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Preaek Prasab | 64,466 | GeoNames settlement | 0.36% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Anlong Veaeng | 56,927 | GeoNames settlement | 0.32% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Cambodia compares
Cambodia has almost the same population as Netherlands (18,087,633).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Cambodia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #70 |  Ecuador | 18,289,896 | +2% | compare → |
| #71 |  Netherlands | 18,087,633 | +1% | compare → |
| #73 |  Zimbabwe | 16,950,795 | −5% | compare → |
| #74 |  Guinea | 15,099,727 | −15% | compare → |
Compare Cambodia with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around Cambodia
Land neighbours (3)
Vietnam 101,598,527 · 5.7× the population · compare
Thailand 71,619,863 · 4.0× the population · compare
Laos 7,873,046 · 2.3× smaller · compare
Cambodia's 3 neighbours together hold 181,091,436 people — 10.1× Cambodia's population. The most populous is Vietnam (101,598,527).
In its region
Cambodia is the 12th most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 0.8% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings
Largest countries, fastest-growing, oldest populations, densest — all rankings.
Cities
Phnom Penh, Takeo, Siem Reap, Battambang, Sihanoukville, Paoy Paet, Dangkao, Kampong Chhnang — all Cambodia's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Cambodia when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.