This is a
demography
Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings.
Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as ed ...
of the
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...
of
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
including
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
,
ethnicity
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Population
Between 1874 and 1921, the total population of
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
increased from about 946,000 to 2.4 million. By 1950, it had increased to between 3,710,107 and 4,073,967, and in 1962 it had reached 5.7 million. From the 1960s until 1975, the population of Cambodia increased by about 2.2% yearly, the lowest increase in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
.
By 1975 when the
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 ...
took power, the population was estimated at 7.3 million. Of this total an estimated one to two million reportedly died between 1975 and 1978. In 1981, the PRK gave the official population figure as nearly 6.7 million, although approximately 6.3 million to 6.4 million is probably more accurate.
The average annual rate of population growth from 1978 to 1985 was 2.3% (see table 2, Appendix A). A post-Khmer Rouge baby boom pushed the population above 10 million, although growth has slowed in recent years.
In 1959, about 45% of the population was under 15 years of age. By 1962, this had increased slightly to 46%. In 1962, an estimated 52% of the population was between 15 and 64 years of age, while 2% were older than 65. The percentage of males and females in the three groups was almost the same.
Population and age distribution
Structure of the population
Structure of the population (01.07.2013) (Estimates) (Excluding foreign diplomatic personnel and their dependents. Data based on the 2008 Population Census):
Vital statistics
UN estimates
Fertility
The total fertility rate in Cambodia was 3.0 children per woman in 2010.
The fertility rate was 4.0 children in 2000.
Women in urban areas have 2.2 children on average, compared with 3.3 children per woman in rural areas.
Fertility is highest in
Mondol Kiri and
Rattanak Kiri Provinces, where women have an average of 4.5 children, and lowest in Phnom Penh where women have an average of 2.0 children.
Fertility and Births
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Total fertility rate and other related statistics by province, as of 2014:
Infant and childhood mortality
Childhood mortality rates are decreasing in Cambodia.
Currently, the infant mortality rate is 45 deaths per 1,000 live births for the five-year period before the survey compared with 66 deaths reported in the 2005 CDHS and 95 in the 2000 CDHS. Under-five mortality rates have also decreased from 124 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000, 83 deaths in 2005 to 54 deaths per 1,000 in 2010.
Childhood mortality decreases markedly with mother’s education and wealth. Infant mortality, for example, is twice as high among children whose mothers have no schooling compared to those with secondary or higher education (72 versus 31). The association with wealth is even stronger. There are 77 deaths per 1,000 live births among infants from the poorest households compared to only 23 deaths per 1,000 live births among infants from the richest households.
Mortality rates are much higher in rural than urban areas. Infant mortality, for example, is 64 deaths per 1,000 live births in rural areas compared to only 22 in urban areas.
Mortality also differs by province. Infant mortality ranges from only 13 deaths per 1,000 live births in Phnom Penh to 78 deaths per 1,000 live births in Kampong Chhnang and Svay Rieng.
Life expectancy
In 1959, life expectancy at birth was 44.2 years for males and 43.3 years for females. By 1970, life expectancy had increased by about 2.5 years since 1945. The greater
longevity
The word " longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for " life expectancy" in demography. However, the term ''longevity'' is sometimes meant to refer only to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas ''life expectancy'' is always ...
for females apparently reflected improved health practices during
maternity
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
and childbirth.
Source: ''UN World Population Prospects''
Ethnic groups
The largest of the ethnic groups in Cambodia are the
Khmer people, Khmer, who comprise approximately 90% of the total population and primarily inhabit the lowland Mekong sub region and the central plains.
The Khmer historically have lived near the
lower Mekong River in a contiguous arc that runs from the southern
Khorat Plateau
The Khorat Plateau ( th, ที่ราบสูงโคราช) is a plateau in the northeastern Thai region of Isan. The plateau forms a natural region, named after the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, a historical barrier controlling access ...
where modern-day
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
,
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
and
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
meet in the northeast, stretching southwest through the lands surrounding
Tonle Sap lake to the
Cardamom Mountains, then continues back southeast to the mouth of the Mekong River in southeastern
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
.
Ethnic groups in Cambodia other than the politically and socially dominant Khmer are classified as either "indigenous ethnic minorities" or "non-indigenous ethnic minorities". The indigenous ethnic minorities, more commonly collectively referred to as the
Khmer Loeu ("upland Khmer"), constitute the majority in the remote mountainous provinces of
Ratanakiri,
Mondulkiri and
Stung Treng and are present in substantial numbers in
Kratie Province.
Approximately 17-21 separate ethnic groups, most of whom speak
Austroasiatic languages
The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are t ...
related to
Khmer, are included in the Khmer Loeu designation, including the
Kuy and
Tampuan people
The Tampuan (also spelled ''Tompuan'' or ''Tampuon'', ''Tumpoun'', ''Tumpuon'', km, ទំពួន) are an indigenous ethnic group living in northeast Cambodia. Numbering about 31,000, the Tampuan people live in the mountainous Southern and Wes ...
. These peoples are considered by the Khmer to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the land. Two of these highland groups, the
Rade and the
Jarai, are
Chamic peoples who speak
Austronesian languages descended from ancient
Cham. These indigenous ethnic minorities haven't integrated into Khmer culture and follow their traditional animist beliefs.
The non-indigenous ethnic minorities include immigrants and their descendants who live among the Khmer and have adopted, at least nominally, Khmer culture and language. The three groups most often included are the
Chinese Cambodians,
Vietnamese and
Cham peoples. The
Chinese have immigrated to Cambodia from different regions of China throughout Cambodia's history, integrating into Cambodian society and today Chinese Cambodians or Cambodians of mixed Sino-Khmer ancestry dominate the business community, politics and the media. The Cham are descendants of refugees from the various wars of the historical kingdom of
Champa
Champa ( Cham: ꨌꩌꨛꨩ; km, ចាម្ប៉ា; vi, Chiêm Thành or ) were a collection of independent Cham polities that extended across the coast of what is contemporary central and southern Vietnam from approximately the 2nd ...
. The Cham live amongst the Khmer in the central plains but in contrast to the Khmer who are Theravada Buddhists, the vast majority of Cham follow Islam.
There are also small numbers of other minority groups.
Tai peoples
Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Ahom, a ...
in Cambodia include the
Lao along the Mekong at the northeast border,
Thai (urban and rural), and the culturally Burmese
Kola
KOLA (99.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Redlands, California, and broadcasting to the Riverside-San Bernardino-Inland Empire radio market. It is owned by the Anaheim Broadcasting Corporation and it airs a classic hits radio form ...
, who have visibly influenced the culture of
Pailin Province
Pailin ( km, ប៉ៃលិន, ) is a province in western Cambodia at the northern edge of the Cardamom Mountains near the border of Thailand. This province is surrounded by Battambang province, and was officially carved out of Battambang ...
. Even smaller numbers of recent
Hmong immigrants reside along the Lao border and various
Burmese people
Burmese people or Myanma people ( my, မြန်မာလူမျိုး) are citizens or people from Myanmar (Burma), irrespective of their ethnic or religious background. Myanmar is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual count ...
s have immigrated to the capital, Phnom Penh.
Khmer people, Khmer 90%,
Vietnamese 5%,
Chinese 1%, other 4%.
Languages
;Official language
Khmer is an
Austroasiatic language spoken by over 90% of the Cambodian population. The vast majority of Khmer speakers use the Central Khmer
dialect
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety of a language that is ...
. Central Khmer is the variety spoken in the central plain where the ethnic Khmers most heavily concentrate. Other Khmer dialects include the Phnom Penh variety, as well as
Northern Khmer (''Surin Khmer''),
Western Khmer (''
Cardamom
Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera '' Elettaria'' and '' Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They ar ...
Khmer''),
Southern Khmer (''Khmer Krom''), and the
Khmer Khe dialect in
Stung Treng province.
The
Northern Khmer dialect is also spoken by over a million Khmers in the southern regions of
Northeast Thailand. Western Khmer displays features of the
Middle Khmer language, and is considered a conservative dialect. Southern Khmer is the first language of the
Khmer Krom
The ''Khmer Krom'' ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរក្រោម, , , lit. 'Lower Khmers' or 'Southern Khmers'; vi, người Khơ-me Crộm, người Khmer Nam Bộ, người Khmer Việt Nam, người Việt gốc Miên (used before 19 ...
people in the
Mekong Delta region in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
.
;Minority languages:
According to
Glottolog
''Glottolog'' is a bibliographic database of the world's lesser-known languages, developed and maintained first at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany (between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute f ...
, 22 languages other than Khmer are spoken in Cambodia, most of which are also Austroasiatic languages. Other Austroasiatic languages of Cambodia include
Kuy,
Por (Pear),
Somray,
Chong,
Suoy,
Sa'och,
Tampuan,
Kaco',
Stieng,
Mnong,
Brao,
Krung (Rade), and
Sou (Laven).
Many of these languages are also spoken in Vietnam.
Vietnamese itself is also spoken in parts of Cambodia. Non-Austroasiatic minority languages of Cambodia include
Cham and
Jarai (
Austronesian) as well as
Thai and
Lao (
Tai-Kadai).
;Languages of education
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
are used to different extents in education.
;Sign language
*
Cambodian Sign Language
Religions
:
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
: 97.1%,
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
: 2.0%,
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
: 0.3%, Others: 0.5%
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the
CIA World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
, unless otherwise indicated.
:''Note'': estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.)
Population growth rate
* 1.56% (2016 est.)
* 1.698% (2011 est.)
* 1.71% (2010 est.)
* 1.77% (2009 est.)
* 1.75% (2008 est.)
Sex ratio
:At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
:0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
:15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
:25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
:55-64 years: 0.65 male(s)/female
:65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
:Total Population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
:Total population: 64.5 years
:Male: 62 years
:Female: 67.1 years (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS
Adult prevalence rate
:0.63% (2015 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS
:74,100 (2015 est.)
:63,000 (2009 est.)
:75,000 (2007 est.)
Deaths
:1,000 (2011 est.)
:2,000 (2015 est.)
:3,100 (2009 est.)
:6,900 (2007 est.)
Nationality
:Noun: Cambodian(s) or Khmer(s)
:Adjective: Cambodian or Khmer
Urbanization
:Urban population: 39.4% of total population (2019)
:Rate of
urbanization
Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly th ...
: 7.8% annual rate of change (2008—2019)
Literacy
:Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
:Total population: 88.5%
:Male: 91.1%
:Female: 86.2% (2019)
Education expenditure
:1.9% of GDP (2014)
Diaspora
Countries with notable populations of Cambodians are:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
**
*
*
*
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demographics Of Cambodia
Society of Cambodia