Cambodia has the most microcredit debt per capita anywhere in the world — debts held mainly by people living in poverty who receive loans to help with small businesses and emergency expenses. In 2024, some 3.8 million households held over 3 million of these microloans, totaling $18 billion.
A new report by Human Rights Watch shows how Cambodian microfinance institutions backed by international investors have aggressively marketed loans in Indigenous communities. Predatory lending and debt collection practices by Cambodian microcredit institutions have resulted in Indigenous people losing land titles, families going hungry, children being forced out of school into the workforce, and several apparent debt-driven suicides.
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About the author
Elaine Pearson
Elaine Pearson is Human Rights Watch's Asia director, overseeing the work of the Asia division in more than 20 countries. She has conducted numerous human rights investigations in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.
