Robust factory growth charted
Cambodia has seen a marked increase in industrialisation over the past five years, with the number of factories nearly doubling during that period and producing a broader range of goods for both export and domestic consumption, according to new unreleased government data. In the yet-unpublished 2016 annual report of the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, data show the total number of factories nationwide jumped 74 percent during the last five years. Cambodia had a total of 1,578 factories in 2016, compared to just 907 in 2012. While the Kingdom’s $6 billion garment industry continues to dominate its industrial profile, accounting for over 10 percent of GDP and providing 600,000 jobs, recent years have seen strong growth in other industrial sectors.