Demographics of Cambodia
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Cambodia
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
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
. By 1975 when the Khmer Rouge
took power, it 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).
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.
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
for females apparently reflected improved health practices during maternity
and childbirth.
Other languages:
Note: In recent decades English and Chinese have become the most attracting foreign language in Cambodia with over 70 Chinese schools and 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers. Other languages spoken in Cambodia are minority languages.
Population of Cambodia according to mother tongue in 1998 and 2008
people living with HIV/AIDS
deaths
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, 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 CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
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
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. By 1975 when the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
took power, it 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).
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.
UN estimates of population and age distribution
| Total population | Population aged 0-14 (%) | Population aged 15-64 (%) | Population aged 65+ (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4 346 | 42.2 | 55.1 | 2.7 |
| 1955 | 4 840 | 42.3 | 55.0 | 2.7 |
| 1960 | 5 433 | 42.5 | 54.8 | 2.7 |
| 1965 | 6 141 | 42.8 | 54.4 | 2.7 |
| 1970 | 6 938 | 43.2 | 54.0 | 2.8 |
| 1975 | 7 098 | 42.3 | 54.9 | 2.8 |
| 1980 | 6 506 | 39.0 | 58.1 | 2.9 |
| 1985 | 7 920 | 42.1 | 55.0 | 2.9 |
| 1990 | 9 532 | 43.8 | 53.4 | 2.8 |
| 1995 | 11 169 | 47.5 | 49.7 | 2.8 |
| 2000 | 12 447 | 41.6 | 55.4 | 3.00 |
| 2005 | 13 358 | 36.4 | 60.3 | 3.3 |
| 2010 | 14 138 | 31.9 | 64.3 | 3.8 |
Births and deaths
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-1955 | 208 000 | 109 000 | 99 000 | 45.4 | 23.8 | 21.6 | 6.29 | 165.1 |
| 1955-1960 | 232 000 | 113 000 | 119 000 | 45.2 | 22.1 | 23.1 | 6.29 | 152.0 |
| 1960-1965 | 260 000 | 118 000 | 142 000 | 44.9 | 20.4 | 24.5 | 6.29 | 139.5 |
| 1965-1970 | 287 000 | 127 000 | 160 000 | 43.9 | 19.4 | 24.5 | 6.22 | 130.0 |
| 1970-1975 | 280 000 | 158 000 | 122 000 | 39.9 | 22.5 | 17.4 | 5.54 | 180.9 |
| 1975-1980 | 227 000 | 272 000 | - 45 000 | 33.4 | 40.0 | -6.6 | 4.70 | 263.2 |
| 1980-1985 | 410 000 | 127 000 | 283 000 | 56.9 | 17.7 | 39.2 | 7.00 | 134.0 |
| 1985-1990 | 407 000 | 115 000 | 292 000 | 46.7 | 13.2 | 33.5 | 6.00 | 97.9 |
| 1990-1995 | 417 000 | 121 000 | 296 000 | 40.3 | 11.3 | 29.0 | 5.44 | 90.0 |
| 1995-2000 | 358 000 | 121 000 | 237 000 | 30.3 | 10.2 | 20.1 | 4.32 | 83.3 |
| 2000-2005 | 323 000 | 117 000 | 206 000 | 25.1 | 9.1 | 16.0 | 3.41 | 72.9 |
| 2005-2010 | 321 000 | 113 000 | 207 000 | 23.3 | 8.3 | 15.0 | 2.80 | 62.4 |
- CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)
Life expectancy
In 1959, Life expectancyLife expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
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
Longevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
for females apparently reflected improved health practices during maternity
Maternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
and childbirth.
Ethnic groups
- KhmerKhmer peopleKhmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
90%, VietnameseVietnamese peopleThe Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
5%, ChineseOverseas ChineseOverseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
1%, other 4%.
Languages
- KhmerKhmer languageKhmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
(official) 95%, EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Other languages:
- VietnameseVietnamese languageVietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, ThaiThai languageThai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
, RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
.
Note: In recent decades English and Chinese have become the most attracting foreign language in Cambodia with over 70 Chinese schools and 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers. Other languages spoken in Cambodia are minority languages.
Population of Cambodia according to mother tongue in 1998 and 2008
| Mother tongue |
Language family |
census 1998 | census 2008 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Khmer Khmer language Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious... |
Mon-Khmer | 10,942,066 | 95.7 | 12,901,447 | 96.3 |
| Chaam Cham language Cham is the language of the Cham people of Southeast Asia, and formerly the language of the kingdom of Champa in central Vietnam. A member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family, it is spoken by 100,000 people in Vietnam and up to 220,000 people in Cambodia . There are also... |
Malayo-Polynesian | 204,080 | 1.52 | ||
| Vietnamese Vietnamese language Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam... |
Vietic | 140,328 | 1.23 | 72,775 | 0.54 |
| Phnong Mnong language The Mnong language belongs to the Mon–Khmer language family. It is spoken by the different groups of Mnong in Vietnam and a Mnong group in Cambodia. Four major dialects exist: Central, Eastern and Southern Mnong , and Kraol . Within a dialect group, members do not understand other dialects... |
Mon-Khmer | 37,507 | 0.28 | ||
| Tumpoon Tampuan The Tampuan are an indigenous ethnic group living in northeast Cambodia. Numbering about 25,000, the Tampuan people live in the mountainous Southern and Western portions of the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri. They have their own language of the Mon–Khmer language family... |
Mon-Khmer | 31,013 | 0.23 | ||
| Kuoy Kuy language Kuy language is a Katuic language, part of the larger Austroasiatic family.Kuy is one of the more important languages of the Mon–Khmer family... |
Mon-Khmer | 28,612 | 0.21 | ||
| Chaaraay Jarai language The Jarai language is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Jarai people of Vietnam and Cambodia. The speakers of Jarai number approximately 332,557... |
Malayo-Polynesian | 26,335 | 0.20 | ||
| Krueng Brao language Brao is a Mon–Khmer language of Cambodia and Laos. There are four distinct but mutually intelligible varieties, sometimes considered separate languages: Lave , Kru’ng , Kavet , and Sou , the latter two spoken by only a couple thousand apiece.... |
Mon-Khmer | 19,988 | 0.15 | ||
| Lao Lao language Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for... |
Tai-Kadai | 24,854 | 0.22 | 18,515 | 0.14 |
| Proav | 9,025 | 0.07 | |||
| Stieng Stieng people The Stieng people are an ethnic group of Vietnam and Cambodia. They speak a language in the Bahnaric group of the Mon–Khmer languages.Most Stieng live in the Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province of southeastern Vietnam... |
Mon-Khmer | 6,541 | 0.05 | ||
| Chinese Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages... |
Chinese Chinese Chinese refers to anything pertaining to the Chinese people.* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, or one of several Chinese ethnicities** Zhonghua minzu（中華民族）, the supra-ethnic Chinese nationality... |
26,721 | 0.23 | 6,530 | 0.05 |
| Kaaveat | Mon-Khmer | 6,218 | 0.05 | ||
| Kraol | Mon-Khmer | 4,202 | 0.03 | ||
| Thai Thai language Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively... |
Tai-Kadai | 2,482 | 0.02 | 2,458 | 0.02 |
| Ro ong | 1,831 | 0.01 | |||
| Por Pear language Pear is an endangered Mon-Khmer language of Cambodia. "Pear" is a pejorative term for the historical slave caste of the Khmer, but nonetheless is the usual term in the literature.... |
Mon-Khmer | 1,827 | 0.01 | ||
| Mel | Mon-Khmer | 1,697 | 0.01 | ||
| Thmoon (T' Moan) | Mon-Khmer | 865 | 0.01 | ||
| Suoy Suoy language Suoy is an endangered Pearic language of Cambodia spoken by a decreasing number of people, mainly older adults.... |
Mon-Khmer | 857 | 0.01 | ||
| Khogn Chong language Chong, or more specifically Western Chong , is an endangered language spoken in Cambodia and southeastern Thailand. It is a Western Pearic language in the Eastern Mon–Khmer language family branch. Chong is currently the focus of a language revitalization project in Thailand.The Chong language is... |
Mon-Khmer | 743 | 0.01 | ||
| Klueng | 702 | 0.01 | |||
| S'ouch Sa'och language Sa'och is an endangered Pearic language of Cambodia spoken by a decreasing number of people, mainly older adults.... |
Mon-Khmer | 445 | 0.00 | ||
| Kchruk | 408 | 0.00 | |||
| Lon | 327 | 0.00 | |||
| Raadear | Malayo-Polynesian | 21 | 0.00 | ||
| Mon Mon language The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. Mon, like the related language Cambodian—but unlike most languages in Mainland Southeast Asia—is not tonal. Mon is spoken by more than a million people today. In recent years, usage of Mon has... |
Mon-Khmer | 19 | 0.00 | ||
| Kchak | 10 | 0.00 | |||
| Others & not stated | 301,205 | 2.63 | 10684 | 0.08 | |
| Total | 11,437,656 | 13,395,682 | |||
Religions
- BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
: 95%, IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
: 1.6%, ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
: 0.2%, Others: 3.2%
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Population
- 14,701,717
- Note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortalityMortality rateMortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...
due to AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortalityInfant mortalityInfant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (2011 est.)
| Year | Population (July est.) | Growth rate (est.) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 14,701,717 | +1.72% | ||||||||||
| 2010 | 14,453,680 | −0.28% | ||||||||||
| 2009 | 14,494,293 | +1.77% | ||||||||||
| 2008 | 14,241,640 | +1.76% | ||||||||||
| 2007 | 13,995,904 | +0.82% | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 13,881,427 | +1.80% | ||||||||||
| 2005 | 13,636,398 | +0.22% | ||||||||||
| 2004 | 13,124,764 | +3.67% | ||||||||||
Population growth rate
- 1.698% (2011 est.)
- 1.71% (2010 est.)
- 1.77% (2009 est.)
- 1.75% (2008 est)
Sex ratio
- At birth: 1.045 male(s)/female
- Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
- Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 62.67 years
- Male: 60.31 years
- Female: 65.13 years (2011 est.)
HIV/AIDS
adult prevalence rate- 0.5% (2011 est.)
people living with HIV/AIDS
- 63,000 (2009 est.)
- 75,000 (2007 est.)
deaths
- 1,000 (2011 est.)
- 3,100 (2009 est.)
- 6,900 (2007 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population: 24% of total population (2010 est.)
- Rate of urbanization: 4.6% rate of annual change (2005-10 est.)
Literacy
- Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- Total population: 73.6%
- Male: 84.7%
- Female: 64.1% (2004 est.)