Cambodia has allocated around 4.13 trillion riel, equivalent to approximately $1.03 billion, to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for 2026, with education receiving 16.8 per cent of the national budget. The funding will support schools, teachers, students, infrastructure, sports and youth programmes, while a substantial share will go directly toward personnel costs and education services delivered at the local level.
The announcement comes as the ministry prepares to hold a public forum on the 2026 education budget and release Cambodia’s 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, results on September 8 in Phnom Penh. Together, the two events are intended to strengthen transparency, accountability and evidence based policymaking while providing a closer look at both the resources being invested in education and the learning outcomes those investments are expected to produce.
“Cambodia is putting more than $1 billion behind education in 2026, combining funding for teachers and schools with programmes for vulnerable students, infrastructure, sports and youth development. At the same time, the release of the PISA 2025 results will provide an important measure of how effectively education reforms are translating into student learning. The ministry says the assessment will not be used simply to rank Cambodia against other countries, but to understand whether 15 year old students can apply their knowledge and skills to further study and everyday challenges. The combination of a major public investment and stronger use of international assessment data signals a broader focus on building Cambodia’s human capital, improving education quality and making public spending more accountable and results oriented.”
More Than $1 Billion Allocated to Cambodia’s Education Sector
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has been allocated approximately 4.13 trillion riel, or $1.03 billion, for 2026. That represents 16.8 per cent of Cambodia’s national budget, making education one of the country’s major areas of public investment.
According to a ministry statement released on September 7, about 79.5 per cent of the education allocation will be used for personnel costs. The remaining funding will finance a range of programmes and activities designed to support the education system, including school operating costs, scholarships for impoverished students, school meal programmes, community preschools, repairs to education infrastructure, sports development and youth programmes.
For Cambodia’s economy, the significance of this spending extends beyond schools and classrooms. Education investment is closely connected to the development of human capital, workforce capabilities and the skills needed by businesses and emerging industries. The ministry has therefore stressed that public investment in education should contribute directly to stronger learning outcomes and the development of Cambodia’s future workforce.
Local Governments Receive a Larger Role in Education Delivery
Around 1.858 trillion riel has been allocated to city, district and commune level administrations. This represents 39.7 per cent of the ministry’s total expenditure and is intended to support the delivery of education services at the subnational level.
The allocation reflects the importance of local administration in making education services available to communities across the country. Funding at the city, district and commune levels can support the practical operation of schools and education programmes closer to where students and families live.
For policymakers and education stakeholders, the decentralisation of resources also raises the importance of accountability and effective implementation. The impact of education spending ultimately depends not only on the size of the budget but also on whether funds reach priority programmes and translate into better services and learning conditions for students.
Performance Based Budgeting Takes a Bigger Role
The ministry has been using performance based agreements since 2024 as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and move public spending toward measurable performance.
For 2026, these agreements will operate across three levels. The first will be between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The second will involve programme directors and the education minister, while the third will operate between programme and sub programme directors.
This structure is intended to connect funding and programme management more closely with performance. For a large public sector allocation, stronger accountability mechanisms are important because they provide a framework for assessing whether programmes are delivering their intended results.
Education Budget Forum to Open Public Discussion
The ministry will hold a public forum on the 2026 education budget at 2pm on September 8. The forum will provide an opportunity to discuss how the education budget is being allocated and used.
The event will be followed at 4pm by the official launch of Cambodia’s 2025 PISA report at Phnom Penh Hotel. Both events will be presided over by Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron.
Around 300 government officials, development partners, education institutions, researchers and journalists are expected to attend the events in person, while another 4,000 participants are expected to participate online. The scale of participation reflects the growing importance of public discussion, research and data in education policy.
PISA 2025 Will Offer a New Look at Student Performance
The PISA 2025 report will provide results from international assessments of Cambodian students aged 15 in reading, mathematics and science. Their performance will be assessed against international education standards, giving policymakers a broader reference point for evaluating the country's education system.
Cambodia first joined PISA in 2022, participating alongside 81 countries. It then took part in the second cycle in 2025, alongside 91 countries. The ministry has emphasised that the assessment is not intended simply to produce a ranking of participating countries.
Instead, PISA is being used as a tool to examine the effectiveness of education reforms and determine whether students are developing the ability to apply what they have learned to further education and everyday challenges. This distinction matters because education performance is not only about examination results, but also about whether students develop practical knowledge and skills that remain valuable beyond school.
PISA Results Could Shape Future Education Policies
The ministry said the PISA 2025 findings will be used to improve education policies and strategies, curricula, teacher development, teaching and learning methods and school governance.
For teachers and education institutions, this means the results could provide evidence about areas requiring improvement and help inform future approaches to teaching and curriculum development. For policymakers, the data can provide another reference point when deciding where resources and reforms should be concentrated.
The results also matter to Cambodia’s wider business and investment environment. A stronger education system can contribute to a more capable workforce, while improvements in mathematics, science, reading and practical problem solving can support the skills required by companies operating in an increasingly competitive economy. Human capital development is therefore both an education priority and a long term economic consideration.
Transparency and Human Capital Remain Central Priorities
The ministry said the education budget forum and PISA report launch demonstrate its commitment to greater transparency, accountability and efficiency in the use of public resources.
The ministry also highlighted the importance of using data and evidence when developing education policies. The combination of increased public discussion around spending and international assessment data provides policymakers with two important perspectives: where public money is being invested and what results the education system is producing.
The central challenge will be turning the $1.03 billion allocation into measurable improvements for students, teachers and communities. With most funding directed toward personnel costs and significant resources allocated to local administrations, programme implementation and performance management will remain critical to achieving better outcomes.
Education Investment Is Ultimately an Investment in Cambodia’s Future
Cambodia’s 2026 education allocation represents a substantial public commitment to developing the country’s human capital. The funding covers not only salaries and school operations, but also scholarships, school meals, community preschools, infrastructure repairs, sports and youth programmes.
At the same time, the upcoming PISA 2025 results provide an opportunity to examine whether education reforms are producing the skills Cambodia needs from its young people. Together, the budget and assessment framework point toward a broader approach in which spending, performance and learning outcomes are increasingly considered together.
The real measure of the investment will not simply be the amount allocated, but the improvements that students, teachers and communities experience as a result. If Cambodia can strengthen accountability, use evidence effectively and direct resources toward better learning outcomes, the country’s education spending could become an important foundation for a more skilled workforce and stronger long term economic development.