Religion

The majority of ethnic Khmer adhere to Theravada Buddhism, the older and more traditional of the two major practices of Buddhism, with Mahayana being the other. Until 1975, Buddhism held the official status of the state religion in Cambodia. However, during the Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979), all religious practices were strictly prohibited. In the 1980s, under the pro-Vietnamese communist regime that governed Cambodia, Buddhism was cautiously encouraged but not fully restored to its former prominence. Finally in 1993 Theravada Buddhism was reinstated as Cambodia's state religion.

Despite efforts to revive the faith, nearly two decades of neglect have made it challenging to fully restore the popularity and prestige that Buddhism enjoyed prior to 1975. Many social and psychological attributes commonly attributed to the Khmer, such as individualism, conservatism, patience, gentleness, and a lack of emphasis on material wealth. However, the influence of Buddhist precepts in Cambodian education and ideology is not as pervasive as it was before 1975.

Among the minority populations, Theravada Buddhism is not the predominant belief system. Khmer Loeu groups typically follow local religions, while ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese practice an eclectic mix of Mahayana Buddhism and Daoism. Many Vietnamese adhere to the Roman Catholic Church or engage in syncretic Vietnamese religious movements like Cao Dai. The Cham minority primarily adheres to Sunni Islam, though in recent times, there has been a notable conversion to Evangelical Protestantism, particularly among urban Khmer.