Demographics of Cambodia

Language

Ninety percent of Cambodia's population is of Khmer origin and speak the Khmer language, the country's official language.

In recent decades, many younger Cambodians and those in the business-class have favoured learning English. In the major cities and tourist centers, English is widely spoken and taught at a large number of schools because of the overwhelming number of tourists from English-speaking countries. Even in the most rural outposts, most young people speak at least some English, as it is often taught by monks at the local pagodas where many children are educated.

Religion

Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, which is practiced by about 95 percent of the population. Buddhism in Cambodia was suppressed by the Khmer Rouge during the late 1970s but has since experienced a revival. Islam is the second highest practiced religion in Cambodia with almost two percent of the population, mostly the Cham people, practicing Islam. Along with Buddhism, Islam was also suppressed during the Khmer Rouge years and has also experienced a revival . Christianity and other unspecified religions are also practiced by almost two percent of the population.

Education

In 2004 it was estimated that 73.6% of the population was literate (84.7% of males and 64.1% of females).  The education system in Cambodia continues to face many challenges, but during the past years there have been significant improvements, especially in terms of primary net enrollment gains, the introduction of program based-budgeting, and the development of a policy framework which helps disadvantaged children to gain access to education.

Traditionally, education in Cambodia was offered by the wats (Buddhist temples), thus providing education exclusively for the male population During the Khmer Rouge regime, education suffered significant drawbacks.

Health

The quality of health in Cambodia is rising. As of 2010, the life expectancy is 60 years for males and 65 years for females, a major improvement since 1999 when the average life expectancy was 49.8 and 46.8 respectively. The Royal Cambodian Government plans to increase the quality of healthcare in the country by raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.

Cambodia's infant mortality rate has decreased from 115 per 1,000 live births in 1993 to 54 in 2009. In the same period, the under-five mortality rate decreased from 181 to 115 per 1,000 live births. In the province with worst health indicators, Ratanakiri, 22.9% of children die before age five.