If you lived in Cambodia instead of Mexico, you would:

Health

be 86.8% less likely to be obese

In Mexico, 37.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 35.3% less likely to die by suicide

Mexico has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cambodia, it is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 4.4 years less

In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 74.4% less spent on your healthcare

Mexico spends $1,368 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cambodia spends $350 as of 2023.

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have 91.8% fewer doctors per person

Mexico has 25.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cambodia has 2.1 as of 2019.

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have 22.7% less access to essential health services

Mexico scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cambodia scores 58 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 90.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Mexico, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cambodia, that number is 0.3% as of 2025.

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make 79.3% less money

Mexico has a GDP per capita of $13,889 as of 2025, while in Cambodia, the GDP per capita is $2,872 as of 2025.

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Life

have 31.4% more children

In Mexico, there are approximately 15.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cambodia, there are 20.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Mexico, approximately 42.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cambodia, 137.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 24.7% less likely to be literate

In Mexico, the literacy rate is 95.5% as of 2024. In Cambodia, it is 71.9% as of 2021.

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be 35.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Mexico, approximately 12.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cambodia, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 17.6% less likely to have internet access

In Mexico, approximately 83.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cambodia, about 68.5% do as of 2024.

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be 16.8% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Mexico, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 83% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 46.3% less on education

Mexico spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Cambodia spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 16.0% less on healthcare

Mexico spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cambodia, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 95.3% less coastline

Mexico has a total of 9,330 km of coastline. In Cambodia, that number is 443 km.

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Safety

be 56.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In Mexico, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cambodia, they kill 18.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 97.7% less strain on fresh water

Mexico withdraws 45% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cambodia withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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find 80.9% less home broadband

Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cambodia has 4.2 as of 2024.

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use 64.9% less electricity

Mexico uses 2,658 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia uses 932 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 69.8% less CO2

Mexico emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 100.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Mexico, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cambodia, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Cambodia: At a glance

Cambodia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 176,515 sq km. Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, with little of the pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful, as were commune council elections in June 2012.
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