Rising fuel prices in Cambodia make it harder for children to get to school
In the floating community of Prek Toal on Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake, rising fuel costs are making it harder for children to access school. Families who earn a living from fishing and travel by boat are increasingly unable to pay for their children’s trips to school, reports Deutsche Welle English.
Twelve-year-old Sok San Seth, a fourth-grade student, travels several kilometres by water to a local primary school every day. His father, Seth Soem, said the family needs about three litres of petrol a day for long fishing trips. When prices rise and the catch is insufficient, Sok San has to miss classes.
Fuel has become a barrier to education
According to the World Bank, petrol prices in Cambodia rose by 45% in March, while diesel prices increased by more than 70%. This was the largest monthly increase since 2008. Global Petrol Prices estimates the current price of petrol at 5,700 riels, or $1.41 per litre, 26.7% higher than a year earlier.
Cambodia imports all petroleum products and has no domestic oil refining capacity. According to DW, the 2026 war in Iran increased energy costs and transport costs for remote communities. Five students sometimes pool money for one litre of petrol, and when they have no money, they row by themselves. Such a trip can take up to an hour.
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Families cut spending and face risks on the water
Twelve-year-old Sien Ly walks to school for more than 30 minutes during the dry season, but during floods she uses a donor-supported school boat. According to her, some classmates have stopped attending classes because their families cannot afford transport.
The girl’s mother, Kunthea Chin, sells sugarcane juice. She said her daily income had fallen from about 80,000 to 40,000 riels, while the family spends around 600,000 riels, or $150, on fuel each month for transporting the children and for her work.
Families try to travel together, share fuel costs or return to rowing boats. At the same time, overcrowded small boats during storms and heavy rains pose risks to children. Boats are also needed by schools to transport teachers, textbooks, learning materials, food and repair supplies.
Cambodian authorities have introduced fuel discounts, tax relief and zero import duty rates for fuel. However, these measures cannot fully protect families with low and unstable incomes.
