Census Results Show that the Population of Cambodia Is 13,388,910

Posted on 5 September 2008
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 576

“Phnom Penh: On 3 September 2008, the Ministry of Planning announced, under the presidency by Mr. Sar Kheng, a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, the results of the general census of Cambodian citizens in 2008.

“According to the temporary results of a countrywide census published on 3 March 2008, the number of Cambodian citizens is 13,388,910 persons, out of which 6,495,512 are male and 6,893,398 are female. Based on these results, the numbers of citizens increases slower than before, because the birth rate declined, which is in line with the predictions and the expectations.

“Mr. Chhay Than, Senior Minister and Minister of Planning, said that after the 1962 census which concluded that the number of citizens of Cambodia was 5.7 million, there was no other census conducted during a period of more than three decades because of a continuing internal crisis. The fist census was conducted in 1998, and the second in 2008 - exactly ten years ago.

“Mr. Chhay Than continued that the census in 2008 coverd 2.8 million families living in different regions of the twenty four provinces and cities countrywide. Almost all families were interviewed and counted during a time period of eleven days. Families living at home, but also at institutions such as hotels, guesthouses, pagodas, hospitals, and prisons were interviewed and counted also.

“Senior Minister Chhay Than added that special arrangements were made to count the number of citizens who are homeless, citizens who move from place to place, and citizens living on boats.

“There were 28,000 interviewing officials and 7,000 supervising officials to meet all families to count and to interview the members of families, and to complete questionnaire tables. There were 72 provincial and city census officials, 500 instructors, 370 district census officials, 1,621 commune census officials, 500 translators, and more interviewing and supervising officials for special regions, such as camps and military bases.

“Mr. Chhay Than went on to say that according to the temporary results of the general census in 2008, compiling all figures [from the previous eleven days of interviews] by 0:00 a.m. on 3 March 2008, the population of Cambodia was 13,388,910, among which there are 6,495,512 males and 6,893,398 females. Compared to the population in the Southeast Asian region, the number of Cambodian citizens is 2.3% of the numbers of citizens in the [completely undefined] region.

“Mr. Sar Kheng, a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said that a census is a task that aims at getting all statistical data needed for the creation of policies, activity programs, administrative management, as well as various decisions that follow the reality of the country.

“Mr. Sar Kheng added that so far, the tasks of the census, its operation at the basis, and the data collection went smoothly according to plans. The Deputy Prime Minister said that a census is the only source of information about the number, and the characteristics of the citizens.

“Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said also that the census provides also the basis for selective patterns of society, as well as the starting point using population numbers for predictions of future population developments, and it is an important factor when planning for various sectors.

“Mr. Sar Kheng thanked the United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA], the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA], and the government of Germany that had provided technical assistance and funds to support the census in 2008, which is important in the history of Cambodia to develop the country.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1737, 4.9.2008
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