PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s industrial landscape continues to expand, with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training reporting a notable increase in registered factories, enterprises, and establishments during the first six months of 2025.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training last week, the total number of registered entities rose by 858, climbing from 44,798 at the close of 2024 to 45,656 by mid-2025.
Growth was observed across both garment and non-garment sectors, with the garment sector increasing by 116 factories and enterprises (from 1,566 at the end of 2024 to 1,682 by June 2025) and the non-garment sector adding a more substantial 742 new entities (from 43,232 at the end of 2024 to 43,974 in the first half of this year).
The garment, footwear, and travel goods industry remains a critical pillar of Cambodia’s economy, serving as its largest source of foreign exchange. This sector is a major employer, providing livelihoods for nearly one million workers, predominantly women.
Trade data from the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia further highlights the sector’s robust performance. In the first half of 2025, exports of garment, footwear, and travel goods reached US$7.38 billion, marking a 22 percent increase from the US$6.02 billion recorded during the same period in 2024.
Accompanying this export growth, the Kingdom’s imports of raw materials for the garment sector also saw a rise. These imports totaled US$3.48 billion in the first half of 2025, up 21.43 percent year-on-year from US$3.1 billion in the first six months of 2024.