Key data for Cambodia

NCI31st HRCI25th HANCI32nd
HANCI compares 45 countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 32.4% Wasting: 9.7% Proportion of population underweight: 9.7% Source: Government of Cambodia (DHS,2014)

Strong Performance

  • The Government of Cambodia has ensured tenure security for rural populations. Land titling is common and land markets function well. Policy promotes equitable access to common property resources.
  • The Government encourages varied agricultural research and extension services, and local farmer organisations are involved in setting policy priorities. The extension system is effective and properly reaches out to poor farmers. Government policies, strategies and mechanisms seek to ensure gender equity in access to extension services.
  • Relative to other HANCI countries, Cambodia’s medium/long term national development policy (National Strategic Development Plan) assigns strong importance to nutrition.
  • The National Nutrition Policy/Strategy identifies time bound nutrition targets and a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism has been set up.
  • The Government of Cambodia promotes complementary feeding practices.
  • In Cambodia 95.3% of women aged 15-49 were visited at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel in 2014.
  • In Cambodia, constitutional protection of the right to social security is strong.

Areas for improvement

  • In Cambodia, the law gives women and men equal economic rights and equal legal access to agricultural land. However, these laws are not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • Policymakers in Cambodia do not benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2014.
  • Weak access to improved sanitation facilities (59.2% in 2017) obstructs better hunger and nutrition outcomes.
  • In Cambodia, constitutional protection of the right to food is weak.
  • Social safety nets in Cambodia are basic and only cover few risks for a limited number of beneficiaries.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
2%201033rd
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
6.1%2017Joint 21st
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Strong2019Joint 11th
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Strong2019Joint 21st
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
73.3%201418th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 26th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Weak2016Joint 30th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 3rd
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 12th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2017Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 24th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
73%201721st
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2016Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
78.9%201727th
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
59.2%201713th
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
95.3%201417th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Strong2014-20184th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
No2014Joint 39th
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Many Aspects Enshrined2019Joint 19th