Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – A recent annual report released by Cambodia's Ministry of Industry and Technological Innovation shows that the Cambodian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) sector achieved significant growth in 2025, driven by the government's continued efforts to transform the informal economy into the formal economy. By the end of 2025, the total number of officially registered SMEs in Cambodia reached 44,795, with 1,262 newly registered in 2025 alone.
The report clearly states that SMEs, as a pillar of Cambodia's national economy, play a crucial role in ensuring people's livelihoods and stabilizing employment. Among existing registered enterprises, the food and beverage production sector accounts for the largest share, with 28,343 companies, approximately 63% of the total. Meanwhile, 8,670 of these enterprises are female-owned, demonstrating the rising influence of women in the business world.
The job creation effect is equally significant. By 2025, registered SMEs in Cambodia had cumulatively created 492,131 jobs, providing strong support for improving people's livelihoods.
The Royal Government of Cambodia is actively guiding the informal sector to integrate into the formal economy through diversified channels, including a convenient online registration system, creating a favorable environment for the development of SMEs.
In a recent speech, Minister of Industry and Technological Innovation, Han Vandy, emphasized the importance of enhancing domestic production capacity. He pointed out that a country lacking production capacity can hardly maintain its economic resilience. Supporting "Made in Cambodia" is not only a matter of sentiment but also a crucial strategic measure to accelerate domestic production and strengthen local supply chains, aiming to ensure that local enterprises possess core competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.
To further incentivize the inclusion of informal enterprises in formal statistics and support the expansion of existing SMEs, the government, through the SME Bank of Cambodia, provides low-interest loans, striving to build a reliable and sustainable financial support system to effectively help enterprises overcome financing difficulties.
The Ministry of Industry and Technological Innovation stated that it will continue to work with relevant departments to comprehensively support the high-quality development of SMEs through a combination of policy incentives and technical guidance, laying a solid foundation for the realization of Cambodia's long-term economic goals.
