The Khmer Krom of Vietnam

The Khmer Krom of Vietnam, numbering approximately 1,385,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Khmer people of the Mekong Delta whose ancestors formed part of the historic Khmer societies of southern Vietnam, maintaining a distinct identity, language, and cultural heritage within a predominantly Vietnamese state. They mostly adhere to Theravada Buddhism and Khmer is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Khmer Krom

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Southeast Asian Peoples
Country: Vietnam
People Cluster: Mon-Khmer
Primary Language(s): Khmer (khm)
Primary Religion(s): Theravada Buddhism
Population: 1,385,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG046652
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Khmer Krom of Vietnam

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Religious Affiliation: Buddhism

87%
%
Theravada Buddhism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Khmer
Language Family: Austroasiatic

100%
%
Khmer Speakers

Media Resources in Khmer:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

3 films

Bible Resources in Khmer:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Khmer Standard Version✓✓
Old Version✓✓

2 entries

Or check out the Khmer bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Khmer Krom are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Khmer Krom:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Khmer Krom of Vietnam

You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
readPsalm 65:9

Give thanks for God's provision in nature, and pray that those who don't know Him will recognize His hand, desire to know their Creator, and hear the truth that Jesus is the solution to the world's greatest need.

...And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
readLuke 24:47

Pray that the message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus will reach everyone.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
readColossians 3:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
readPsalm 96:4

Pray that God will raise up believers to declare His glory among the lost, so that they may know that He is great and greatly to be praised, that He is exalted above all gods.

Khmer Across Countries (ROP3 - 104946) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

10 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
KhmerKhmerCambodia15,840,000Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
Khmer KromKhmer KromVietnam1,385,000Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
Cambodian KhmerCambodian KhmerUnited States197,000Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
KhmerKhmerFrance72,000Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
Central KhmerCentral KhmerThailand63,000Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
CambodianCambodianAustralia25,500Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
KhmerKhmerCanada22,500Engaged yet UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
KhmerKhmerGermany13,000Unengaged and UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
KhmerKhmerLaos5,800Unengaged and UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism
KhmerKhmerUnited Kingdom1,300Unengaged and UnreachedKhmerTheravada Buddhism

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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