From 2004 to 2008, the economy grew about 10% per year, driven largely by an expansion in the garment sector, construction, agriculture, and tourism. GDP contracted slightly in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown but climbed more than 6% in 2010 and 6.7 in 2011, driven by tourism and renewed exports. With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodian textile producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. The garment industry currently employs more than 300,000 people - about 5% of the work force - and contributes more than 70% of Cambodia's exports. In 2005, exploitable oil deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a potential revenue stream for the government when commercial extraction begins. Mining also is attracting significant investor interest, particularly in the northern parts of the country. The government has said opportunities exist for mining bauxite, gold, iron and gems. In 2006, a US-Cambodia bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed, and several rounds of discussions have been held since 2007. Rubber exports increased about 50% in 2011 due to continued demand for raw rubber, particularly from China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The tourism industry has continued to grow rapidly with foreign arrivals exceeding 2 million per year since 2007; economic troubles abroad dampened growth in 2009 but arrivals rebounded to over 2 million in 2010-11. The global financial crisis is weakening demand for many Cambodian exports, and construction is declining due to a shortage of credit. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is less than 25 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.

15.633% (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.67 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$789.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$5.037 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.832 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$3.115 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.64 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, cassava (manioc), silk

Tourism, garments, construction, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles

Clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear

US 41.5%, Canada 8.6%, Germany 8.2%, UK 7.9%, Japan 4.6% (2011)

Petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products

Thailand 29.6%, China 23.9%, Singapore 9.4%, Hong Kong 7.2%, Vietnam 5.1%, South Korea 4.6% (2011)

$4.069 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.802 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$5.028 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.676 billion (31 December 2010 est.)