IRI Releases Latest Survey of Cambodian Public Opinion

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – IRI today released a survey of Cambodian public opinion.  The poll, conducted July 12 – August 6, 2010, covers general attitudes toward the direction of the country, top issues facing the country, corruption, ownership of farmland, access to education and understanding of the voting process.

The poll reveals strong approval of the direction in which the country is going.  Seventy-six percent of Cambodians think their country is moving in the right direction, only six points down from a peak in 2008.  The top reasons cited for right direction were the building of infrastructure, primarily roads and schools.  The top reason cited for wrong direction was corruption.

The top issues facing Cambodians are health, jobs and natural disasters, with younger Cambodians putting jobs first.

Of rural Cambodians, 85 percent own land, but only 17 percent of those report sufficient irrigation.  Over the past three years, five percent of Cambodians report having some of their land taken away from them. 

The randomly selected general sample consists of 2,000 adults, representative of the Cambodian population 18 or older by gender.  The general sample was drawn from all 24 provinces and municipalities.  The margin of error for the national sample will not exceed plus or minus 2.2 percent in 19 out of 20 cases.  There was 95 percent response rate.

IRI has conducted surveys in Cambodia since 2007.  This poll is part of IRI’s political party development program in Cambodia, and was designed to both gauge public opinion and assist IRI’s political party partners with building platforms based on the issues most important to the Cambodian people.  The poll was funded by the United States Agency for International Development and fielded by The Center for Advanced Studies under the supervision of IRI.

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, IRI advances freedom and democracy worldwide by developing political parties, civic institutions, open elections, good governance, and the rule of law.