The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017

Cambodia ranks 89th, up one position from last year. Among Asian nations, it is the one that has posted the largest GCI score improvement—from 3.5 to 4.0—since 2007. Despite the positive trend, the challenges are many and significant. Cambodia ranks no better than 50th in any of the 12 pillars of the Index; in half of them it sits beyond the 100th mark. Of particular concern is its mediocre performance in three of the four areas that constitute the basic drivers of competitiveness: institutions (104th, up seven), infrastructure (106th, down five), and health and primary education (103rd, down 16). Moreover, Cambodia ranks 124th in higher education and training, its poorest performance in any pillar. It is estimated that secondary education enrollment is around 50 percent. With a median age of 23.8, Cambodia is home to one of the youngest populations in Asia. Ensuring access to quality of education for all should therefore be a policy priority.