d ▁history ▁was ▁the ▁Kh mer ▁Rou ge ▁regime ▁and ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁occupation ▁under ▁Vietnam ’ s ▁commun ist ▁leaders ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁As ▁such , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁recently ▁did ▁the ▁political ▁situation ▁in ▁Camb odia ▁sett le ▁down . ▁Since ▁then , ▁its ▁economy ▁has ▁been ▁growing ▁from ▁strength ▁to ▁strength , ▁driven ▁by ▁the ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁gar ment , ▁construction , ▁tour ism ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁sector . ▁ ▁A ▁significant ▁proportion ▁of ▁Camb od ians ▁living ▁in ▁rural ▁areas ▁don ' t ▁share ▁the ▁same ▁prosper ity ▁as ▁those ▁in ▁urban ▁areas , ▁especially ▁those ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁plate au ▁and ▁mountain ous ▁region . ▁The ▁ ▁Asian ▁Development ▁Bank ▁once ▁estimated ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁that ▁ 1 8 . 9 % ▁of ▁Camb od ians ▁lived ▁below ▁the ▁national ▁pover ty ▁line . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Camb odia ’ s ▁population ▁grew ▁to ▁ 1 4 . 6 8 ▁million . ▁As ▁of ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁the ▁figures ▁dropped ▁to ▁ 1 3 . 5 % ▁despite ▁the ▁population ▁increasing ▁to ▁ 1 5 . 4 1 ▁million ▁people ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁Many ▁small - scale ▁far mers ▁practice ▁agricult ure ▁at ▁subs istence ▁level , ▁using ▁traditional ▁methods ▁that ▁are ▁low ▁in ▁product ivity . ▁Two ▁third s ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁ 1 . 6 ▁million ▁rural