Mercer’s 2016 Cost of Living rankings benchmark how much a new resident in a city has to pay for products compared to New York using the US dollar as the base currency. For 2016, Phnom Penh ranks as the 118th costliest city for newly relocated citizens, up 24 places from 2015 when Mercer recognized Phnom Penh as the world’s 142nd most expensive city.
Cambodia exported an estimated US$10.1 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2016. Highest-value Cambodian exports include clothing, footwear, rice, bicycles and natural rubber according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Phnom Chisor Temple, Central Market and Sisowath Quay
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia:
- Francois Chau, actor (born Oct. 26, 1959)
- Sam Rainsy, former finance minister (born Mar. 10, 1949)
- Alain Fiard, soccer/football coach (born Sep. 17, 1958)
- Miss Pich Lifestyle, YouTube star (born Dec. 6, 2001)
- Norodom Buppha Devi, princess (born Jan. 8, 1943)
- Pa Socheatvong, governor (born Jul. 1, 1957)
- Norodom Sihanouk, former Cambodian king (born Oct. 31, 1922)
- Pisith Pilika, actress (born Feb. 4, 1965)
- Pung Kheav Se, executive director Canadia bank (born 1944)
- Kep Chuktema, former governor & mayor (born Feb. 7, 1951)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Phnom Penh resident: Phnom Penher
Population: 1,860,000 (Phnom Penh)
Density: 21,882 people per square mile (8,449 per square kilometer)
Population: 15,957,223 (Cambodia)
Density: 234 people per square mile (90 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$54.2 billion as of October 2016 (for Cambodia, per WorldsRichestCountries.com)
GDP per person: $3,500
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Phnom Penh were unavailable.
Official currency used in Phnom Penh: Cambodian riel
Research
Research Sources:
Atlas & Boots, The World’s Most Expensive Cities for Expats 2016. Accessed on February 17, 2017
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on December 15, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on December 15, 2016
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, East & Southeast Asia: Cambodia . Accessed on February 17, 2017
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on December 15, 2016
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition. Accessed on December 15, 2016
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 17, 2017
Mercer, 2016 Cost of Living Rankings. Accessed on February 17, 2017
Official Government Website, Phnom Penh Capital Hall. Accessed on December 15, 2016
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on December 15, 2016
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Cambodia. Accessed on February 17, 2017
Wikipedia, Phnom Penh. Accessed on December 15, 2016
Phnom Penh’s built-up urban area occupies 85 square miles (220 square kilometers), within which an estimated 1.9 million people lived in 2016.
From a national perspective, Cambodia’s land area is roughly 8,000 times bigger than its capital city at 68,153 square miles (176,515 square kilometers). Cambodia’s total population is approximately 16 million inhabitants, a more modest 16.5 times greater than the 1.9 million people count for Phnom Penh.
Population density is many times higher within Cambodia’s capital city with an average 21,900 Phnom Penhers per square mile (8,400 per square kilometer).
Enlarging the statistical scope to encompass Cambodia’s overall land borders, density drops precipitously to 234 people per square mile (90 per square kilometer).
Cambodia separated from France on November 9, 1953. Cambodians celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday each November 9.