Religious Structures among Ethnic Minority Communities along Vietnam’s Three Land Borderlines: An Analysis Based on Survey Data

Abstract

This article examines the religious structures of ethnic minority communities along Vietnam’s three land borderlines, drawing on data from the 2019 nationwide survey on the socio-economic conditions of 53 ethnic minority groups. The findings reveal a markedly differentiated religious landscape shaped by geography, ethnic composition, and the historical trajectories of missionary activities: Protestantism predominates in the Vietnam-China border, Catholicism is particularly salient along the Vietnam-Laos border, while the Vietnam-Cambodia borderland is characterized by pronounced religious diversity. The study underscores that religion in border regions operates not merely as an individual choice but as a social institution embedded within specific local contexts. The close nexus between ethnicity and religious affiliation further indicates that religion is increasingly becoming a critical component of the cultural and social life of many ethnic minority communities in contemporary borderlands.