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

Health

be 78.2% less likely to be obese

In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cambodia spends $350 as of 2023.

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have 28.7% more doctors per person

Vanuatu has 1.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Cambodia has 2.1 as of 2019.

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have 23.4% more access to essential health services

Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cambodia scores 58 as of 2021.

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be 71.4% less likely to die by suicide

Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cambodia, it is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 0.8 years less

In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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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Economy

be 94.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cambodia, that number is 0.3% as of 2025.

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make 28.9% less money

Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Cambodia, the GDP per capita is $2,872 as of 2025.

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Life

be 37.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 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 18.2% less likely to be literate

In Vanuatu, the literacy rate is 88.0% as of 2023. In Cambodia, it is 71.9% as of 2021.

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be 13.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 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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have 26.5% fewer children

In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 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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Basic Needs

be 54.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Cambodia, that number is 95% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Expenditures

spend 71.5% less on education

Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Cambodia spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 12.1% more on healthcare

Vanuatu spends 4.1% 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 82.5% less coastline

Vanuatu has a total of 2,528 km of coastline. In Cambodia, that number is 443 km.

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Safety

be 50.4% more likely to die in a road accident

In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cambodia, they kill 18.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.6 times more home broadband

Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cambodia has 4.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 26.4% more CO2

Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (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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