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

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

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

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
readPsalm 9:9-10

Pray that God will help those who are oppressed and without hope to hear the good news of Jesus and trust in Him, for He has never forsaken those who seek Him.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread."
readMatthew 6:10-11

As people go about their daily lives, pray they will have the opportunity to encounter Jesus-followers, receive the gospel, and respond with joy. Pray that, as God provides for their daily needs, He will also bring many into His beautiful kingdom.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
readPsalm 133:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be unified and love one another as God loves them.

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
readActs 13:47

Pray that as people come to faith, they will follow the Lord's leading to go to their neighbors and share the treasure they found in Christ.

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.

Scroll to Top