An aerial view of the capital’s central business district. - Photo: The Phnom Penh Post file
PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian government had a total public debt stock of US$12.18 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2025, up 1.24 per cent from US$12.03 billion at the end of 2024, according to the Cambodia Public Debt Statistical Bulletin on Friday (May 30).
Published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the bulletin showed that 99 per cent, or $12.06 billion, was public external debt and 1 per cent, or $118.33 million, was public domestic debt.
The composition of the public debt stock comprised 48 per cent in USD, 18 per cent in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), 11 per cent in JPY, 10 per cent in CNY, 8 per cent in EUR and 5 per cent in local and other currencies, the bulletin said.
During the January-March period this year, the government signed new concessional loans with development partners in a total amount of $78.81 million, which accounted for 3 per cent of the ceiling permitted by law, it said.
"Overall, all the loans are highly concessional with an average grant element of around 50 per cent," the bulletin said.
The bulletin said the Southeast Asian country had paid debt services to development partners in the amount of $237.8 million in Q1 of 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth said all the loans had been used to finance public investment projects in the priority sectors that support long-term sustainable economic growth and increase economic productivity.
Cambodia's public debt situation is currently at a controllable level and continues to remain "sustainable" and "low risk" of debt distress, he said in the bulletin.
The kingdom's total public debt is at 18.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which is far lower than the threshold of 40 per cent, according to the bulletin. - Xinhua
