Cambodia vs China
Cambodia vs China: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 25.5% of GDP in Cambodia and 98.6% of GDP in China, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 73.1 percentage points, or 3.86 times that in Cambodia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Cambodia.
- In 2025, Cambodia ranked 136 and China ranked 17 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Cambodia at 25.7% of GDP and China at 122.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Cambodia | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.5 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 26.1 | 90.5 |
| 2023 | 26.3 | 84.1 |
| 2022 | 25.3 | 77.3 |
| 2021 | 26.4 | 72.1 |
| 2020 | 25.5 | 70.6 |
| 2019 | 21.2 | 59.9 |
| 2018 | 21.3 | 55.7 |
| 2017 | 22.9 | 53.7 |
| 2016 | 22 | 50 |
| 2015 | 23.4 | 40.9 |
| 2014 | 24 | 39.4 |
| 2013 | 24.6 | 36.6 |
| 2012 | 25 | 33.9 |
| 2011 | 23.7 | 33 |
| 2010 | 23.5 | 33.1 |
| 2009 | 23.1 | 33.9 |
| 2008 | 22.7 | 26.6 |
| 2007 | 25.3 | 28.8 |
| 2006 | 26.6 | 25.2 |
| 2005 | 31.3 | 26 |
| 2004 | 38.1 | 25.9 |
| 2003 | 39.6 | 26.4 |
| 2002 | 37.8 | 25.5 |
| 2001 | 33.6 | 24.2 |
| 2000 | 34.1 | 22.6 |
| 1999 | 34.7 | 21.6 |
| 1998 | 37.2 | 20.4 |
| 1997 | 31.6 | 20.4 |
| 1996 | 30.2 | 21.2 |
| 1995 | – | 21.4 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Cambodia | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25.1 | 104.4 |
| 2027 | 25.3 | 109.1 |
| 2028 | 24.9 | 113.2 |
| 2029 | 25.4 | 116.4 |
| 2030 | 25.7 | 119.5 |
| 2031 | 25.7 | 122.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Cambodia vs China
Health
- Life expectancyCambodia: 70.7 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCambodia: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCambodia: 19.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCambodia: 3.1% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateCambodia: 4.5 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCambodia: 17.4 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthCambodia: 1.25% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCambodia: 2.58 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCambodia: 41.1% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageCambodia: 25.8 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCambodia: 6% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCambodia: -1.8 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCambodia: 1.45% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCambodia: $716M in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personCambodia: $42 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCambodia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCambodia: 191,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerCambodia: 0.16% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCambodia: 2.02% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCambodia: 56 million TIV in 2023China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCambodia: 1 million TIV in 2000China: 880 million TIV in 2025