Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023
Cambodia, 2023
Identification
KHM_2023_CAC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023
ជំរឿនកសិកម្មកម្ពុជា
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Cambodia | KHM |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023 was the second national agriculture census conducted in the country after the first census in 2013.
The Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023 is the main data source for the agriculture frame and assessment of agricultural productivity in Cambodia and presents statistical data on crops, livestock, aquaculture, fisheries and other relevant activities that are useful for reflecting on the condition of agriculture, environment, economy, society and food security of Cambodian agricultural families. This data is necessary as input into the strategic planning of the agriculture sector development 2023-2028, as well as poverty reduction, national economic growth measurement and other related development programs.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural activities (crop and livestock production), fishery, and aquaculture.
The community survey questionnaire collected data regarding type of soil, irrigation sources, shock/disasters within last five years, economic activities, agro-processing equipment and machineries and facilities, transportation, schools, communication, health, water, electricity, roads and markets, organizations, NGOs, religion, and ethnicities.
The household holding questionnaire (form 3) collected information on:
- Geographic (area) information
- Respondent and agricultural holder information
- Detailed holder's household member information
- Basic characteristics of the agricultural holding
- Crops planting
- Temporary crops
- Permanent crops
- Home lot
- Presence of forest and other wooded lands
- Irrigation
- Agricultural services
- Livestock/poultry raised in the holdings
- Aquaculture and fishing activity
- Implements, equipment, and machinery, used
- Food security
The non-household holding questionnaire (form 4) collected information on:
- Geographic and respondent information
- Production of crops
- Temporary crops in the last 12 months
- Permanent crops
- Use of irrigation
- Livestock raised in the holding
- Poultry raised in the holding
- Aquaculture activity
- Fishing or aquatic activities
- Processing of agriculture products
- Presence of forest and other wooded lands
- Hired holding workers
- Implements, equipment, and machineries used
- Legal status of agricultural holding
Coverage
The Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023 covered the entire country, except villages in the core urban area of Phnom Penh which had reported less than 5 agricultural holdings in the General Population Census 2019.
The statistical unit was the agricultural holding defined as an economic unit of agricultural production under single management. It encompasses all livestock or poultry kept, as well as all land used wholly or partly for agricultural purposes. Two types of agricultural holdings were distinguished in the Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023:
- Agricultural holdings in the household sector (household agricultural holdings)
- Agricultural holdings in the non-household sector (juridical agricultural holdings), managed and operated by the state or private enterprises, such as agricultural corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, private institutions or government entities.
The following thresholds were used in the Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2023 for agricultural holdings in the household sector:
- 0.03 ha of land used wholly or partly for agricultural production
- 2 large livestock
- 3 small units of livestock
- 25 poultry
Agricultural enterprises in the non-household sector were not systematically captured in the census due to the absence of a comprehensive business register for this sector. Coverage of the non-household sector was therefore limited to holdings identifiable through existing administrative records.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| Ministry of Planning (ក្រសួងផែនការ), National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia (NIS, វិទ្យាស្ថានស្ថិតិជាតិ) |
| Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (ក្រសួងកសិកម្ម រុក្ខាប្រមាញ់ និងនេសាទ) |
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Technical assistance |
Sampling
For agricultural holdings in the household sector, a list frame was built through the listing of all households in the villages of the country, carried out during the first phase of the census.
For agricultural holdings in the non-household sector, a list frame of large agricultural enterprises was developed from registers provided by government organizations, including different departments within Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Fishery Administration, and the Council for the Development of Cambodia. The list frame also included the large agricultural establishments that were interviewed during the Census of Agriculture of Cambodia 2013, the Cambodia Intercensal Agriculture Survey 2019, and the Cambodia Agriculture Surveys 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The census was conducted using complete enumeration of agricultural holdings. All households in the country were interviewed in the first phase using Form 2 to determine their involvement in agricultural, aquaculture and fisheries activities. If a household was found to be involved in agricultural activities and qualified for inclusion as defined for an agricultural holding, it was further interviewed using Form 3.
Survey instrument
The census used four questionnaires for data collection:
- Form 1, for the community (village) survey
- Form 2, for the households listing
- Form 3, for agricultural holdings in the household sector
- Form 4, for agricultural holdings in the non-household sector.
The questionnaires covered 22 out of the 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-01 | 2023-04-10 | Community questionnaire and households listing (forms 1 and 2) |
| 2023-04-11 | 2023-05-15 | Enumeration of holdings (forms 3 and 4) |
Reference day:
- Day of the interview, for identification of the holding, livestock, available land, and land tenure.
Reference period:
- From 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, for land use, crops, agricultural activities, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, aquaculture, processing of agricultural products, forestry, labour force, equipment and machinery.
- Pen and Paper Interview [papi]
Census activities involved central and field staff from the National Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; over 6 000 enumerators, selected from Provincial Department of Planning and Provincial Department of Agriculture; and 107 supervisors. Enumerators and supervisors were trained before the beginning of the data collection activities. In addition, 25 regional officers and 70 assistant regional officers were assigned in total to all provinces.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The census questionnaires and enumeration manuals were revised and finalized based on the results of a pilot census in 2023 and the experience gained during this exercise. Before fieldwork, an advocacy plan was launched to inform agricultural holdings in the household and non-household sector, to get their support and cooperation as well as the village leaders to provide information. An awareness campaign was carried out through the mass media using television and radio, and the use of banners and posters, stickers on bags, T-shirts and caps used for the census.
There were two levels of training conducted separately: (i) training of trainers, which included central office staff of the National Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, provincial heads and representatives; and (ii) training of enumerators and team supervisors. All field officials, including the supervisors at all levels, were trained extensively on concepts, definitions and procedures for data collection.
Despite significant efforts to obtain information on agricultural holdings in the non-household sector, only 291 of these were captured. Although the total number of holdings in the non-household sector remains uncertain, a reference list of 520 holdings was available at the time of publication in 2025, suggesting under-coverage in this sector, with an estimated coverage rate of 56 percent. Various data sources were used to test the reliability of the estimates, for example, the annual Cambodia Agriculture Survey, administrative estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the General Population Census.
Data processing
After data collection, enumerators submitted the completed forms to their respective team supervisors. The supervisors checked and submitted the forms to the provincial headquarters. The officials responsible at the provincial headquarters rechecked the questionnaires and submitted them for data entry and validation either within their province or at the national headquarters. At census headquarters, located within the National Institute of Statistics offices in Phnom Penh, and in other provincial data entry centers, the completed questionnaires were received first in the documentation control unit where certain minimum checks were conducted with respect to coverage and completeness of questionnaires before these were sent for data entry and further processing.
Processing of data and computation was done using the Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) 7.6. The validation of data started from the documentation stage, through data entry and subsequent processing because the data entry package was embedded with consistency checks. This was further followed by manual checks, and finally, computer editing. Imputation was carried out using various strategies. Imputation and data tabulation was done using STATA software.
Once all the data was finally validated, tabulated and prepared for dissemination, then the National Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were responsible for the maintenance and dissemination of data.
Data Access
For data access and use information please contact the National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://nis.gov.kh/
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia (NIS, វិទ្យាស្ថានស្ថិតិជាតិ) | Ministry of Planning (ក្រសួងផែនការ) | [email protected] | https://nis.gov.kh/ |
Metadata production
DDI_KHM_2023_CAC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia (វិទ្យាស្ថានស្ថិតិជាតិ) | Ministry of Planning (ក្រសួងផែនការ) | Metadata producer | |
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |