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Selective Mortality During the Khmer Rouge Period in Cambodia

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  • Damien de Walque

Abstract

Aspects of the long‐term demographic impact of genocide during the period of the Khmer Rouge (1975–79) in Cambodia are analyzed. Mortality data for siblings from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey in 2000 demonstrate that excess mortality was extremely high and heavily concentrated during 1974–80. The study also shows that mortality was highly selective during that period. Adult males were the most likely to die, indicating that violent death played a major role. Individuals with an urban or educated background were more likely to die. Mortality by religious background is also assessed. Infant and early childhood mortality was very high during the period and was as prevalent in urban areas and among children born to educated mothers as in rural areas and among the less educated.

Suggested Citation

  • Damien de Walque, 2005. "Selective Mortality During the Khmer Rouge Period in Cambodia," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 31(2), pages 351-368, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:31:y:2005:i:2:p:351-368
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2005.00069.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. D. de Walque & P. Verwimp, 2010. "The Demographic and Socio-economic Distribution of Excess Mortality during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 19(2), pages 141-162, March.
    2. Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, 2021. "The demographic drivers of grief and memory after genocide in Guatemala," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2021-003, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    3. Debarati Guha-Sapir & Olivia D’Aoust, 2011. "Demographic and Health Consequences of Civil Conflict," World Bank Publications - Reports 9083, The World Bank Group.
    4. Olivier Dagnelie & Giacomo De Luca & Jean-Francois Maystadt, 2014. "Do girls pay the price of civil war?," Working Papers 66401113, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    5. Islam, Asadul & Ouch, Chandarany & Smyth, Russell & Wang, Liang Choon, 2016. "The long-term effects of civil conflicts on education, earnings, and fertility: Evidence from Cambodia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 800-820.
    6. Gómez-Ugarte, Ana C. & Chen, Irena & Acosta, Enrique & Basellini, Ugofilippo & Alburez-Gutierrez, Diego, 2025. "Accounting for uncertainty in conflict mortality estimation: An application to the Gaza War in 2023-2024," SocArXiv z4e7s_v1, Center for Open Science.
    7. Ariel Karlinsky & Orsola Torrisi, 2023. "The Casualties of War: An Excess Mortality Estimate of Lives Lost in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-24, June.
    8. Patrick Domingues, 2011. "Civil War Exposure And School Enrolment:Evidence From The Mozambican Civil War," NEPS Working Papers 1/2011, Network of European Peace Scientists.
    9. Tapsoba, Augustin, 2023. "The cost of fear: Impact of violence risk on child health during conflict," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    10. De Walque Damien & Filmer Deon, 2012. "The Socioeconomic Distribution of Adult Mortality during Conflicts in Africa," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(3), pages 1-12, December.
    11. de Pleijt, Alexandra M. & Frankema, Ewout, 2025. "The deeper roots of human capital formation and economic development in Southeast Asia, 1900–2000," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    12. Michael Palmer & Jenny Williams & Barbara McPake, 2019. "Standard of Living and Disability in Cambodia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(11), pages 2382-2402, November.
    13. Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, 2019. "Blood is thicker than bloodshed: A genealogical approach to reconstruct populations after armed conflicts," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(23), pages 627-656.
    14. Olivier Dagnelie & Giacomo De Luca & Jean-Francois Maystadt, 2014. "Do girls pay the price of civil war? Violence and infant mortality in Congo," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven 490852, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    15. Dagnelie, Olivier & Luca, Giacomo Davide De & Maystadt, Jean-François, 2018. "Violence, selection and infant mortality in Congo," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 153-177.
    16. Kevin Thomas, 2010. "Family Contexts and Schooling Disruption among Orphans in Post-Genocide Rwanda," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 29(6), pages 819-842, December.
    17. Jorge M. Agüero & Muhammad F. Majid, 2016. "War and the Stock of Human Capital," Working papers 2016-24, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    18. Damien De Walque & Deon Filmer, 2013. "Trends and Socioeconomic Gradients in Adult Mortality around the Developing World," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 39(1), pages 1-29, March.
    19. JieYeon Celes Moon & Lewis Seagull, 2020. "Addressing Cambodia’s Clean Water Infrastructure," Proceedings of the 18th International RAIS Conference, August 17-18, 2020 023jym, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
    20. Jorge M. Ag�ero & Muhammad Farhan Majid, 2014. "War and the Destruction of Human Capital," HiCN Working Papers 163, Households in Conflict Network.
    21. repec:bpj:pepspp:v:18:y:2012:i:3:p:12:n:15 is not listed on IDEAS

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