-3.png%3F2026-01-02T04%253A34%253A14.110Z&w=3840&q=100)
Beyond the military imbalance with Thailand, Cambodia also faces a significant demographic gap. With a population of roughly 17 million compared to Thailand’s more than 71 million, some observers, particularly men, have proposed an unconventional idea: legalizing polygamy so that men can have more than two wives in order to rapidly increase the population and expand the country’s human resources.
Can women also have more that 1 husband?
At first glance, this proposal may seem practical. In theory, it could multiply population growth two or three times within a decade. However, this approach raises serious legal, social, and economic concerns and ultimately fails to address Cambodia’s real development challenge.
If men were legally allowed to have multiple wives, the principle of equality would logically require that women also be permitted to have multiple husbands. Beyond legal feasibility, this highlights a deeper issue: population size alone does not guarantee national strength. The key question is not quantity, but quality.
Quality vs. Quantity
Cambodia does need more people, but more importantly, it needs quality human resources, or what economists call human capital. Human capital refers to the knowledge, skills, health, and capabilities that individuals accumulate over their lives, allowing them to contribute productively to society. Without strong human capital, a larger population can become a burden rather than an advantage.
For a developing country like Cambodia, strengthening the quality of human resources is essential to improving productivity, institutional capacity, and long-term competitiveness—especially in an era of rapid technological change and demographic transition. Population growth without parallel investment in education, health, and skills development risks deepening inequality and straining public services.
Affordability must also be part of the discussion. Although Cambodia’s purchasing power has gradually improved, it remains relatively low. Modern wedding ceremonies have become increasingly expensive, often turning marriage into a financial challenge rather than a social milestone. After marriage, family planning becomes equally important. Raising children without adequate economic preparation can result in poor outcomes—not only for families, but for society as a whole.
Household economic conditions largely determine whether children grow into productive human capital or become trapped in cycles of vulnerability. In simple terms, if wages grow faster than the cost of living, families are more likely to feel secure, enjoy better quality of life, and choose to have children. Without this balance, encouraging higher birth rates can worsen affordability pressures.
Therefore, the real question should not be whether Cambodian men should have more than two wives. Instead, it should be how Cambodia can build strong human capital. A large population without economic efficiency, education, healthcare, and long-term planning offers little benefit and may even weaken the state.
Encouraging marriage and higher birth rates without a clear strategy for economic growth, social protection, and child development is like trading a full plate of rice for a burger without meat. Ultimately, public health, education, and economic resilience, not sheer population size, determine whether a country becomes strong or fragile.