Population and Demographics

Between 1874 and 1921, the total population of Cambodia 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 million 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 a more accurate one.

Civil war and its aftermath have had a marked effect on the Cambodian population. The median age is 21.3 years, with more than 50% of the population younger than 25. At 0.95 males/female, Cambodia has the most female-biased sex ratio in the Greater Mekong Subregion. UNICEF has designated Cambodia the third most mined country in the world, attributing over 60,000 civilian deaths and thousands more maimed or injured since 1970 to the unexploded landmines left behind in rural areas. The majority of the victims are children herding animals or playing in the fields. Adults that survive landmines often require amputation of one or more limbs and have to resort to begging for survival. In 2006, the number of landmines casualties in Cambodia took a sharp decrease of more than 50% compared to 2005, with the number of landmines victims down from 800 in 2005 to less than 400 in 2006.

Cambodia is ethnically homogeneous. More than 90% of its population is of Khmer origin and speaks the Khmer language, the country's official language. The remainder include Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham, Khmer Loeu, and Indians. The dominant religion Theravada Buddhism (95%) was suppressed by the Khmer Rouge but has since experienced a revival. Islam and Christianity are also practiced.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 13,995,904
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 34% (male 2,405,561/female 2,355,404)
  • 15-64 years: 62.4% (male 4,234,701/female 4,500,994)
  • 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 189,090/female 310,154)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 21.3 years
  • Male: 20.6 years
  • Female: 22.1 years
• Population Growth Rate: 1.729%
• Birth Rate: 25.53 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 8.24 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.021 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.953 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 58.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 65.74 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 50.84 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 61.29 years
  • Male: 59.27 years
  • Female: 63.4 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 3.12 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 2.6%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Khmer 90%
  • Vietnamese 5%
  • Chinese 1%
  • Other 4%
• Religions:
  • Theravada Buddhist 95%
  • Other 5%
• Languages:
  • Khmer (official) 95%
  • French
  • English
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 73.6%
  • Male: 84.7%
  • Female: 64.1%