Vietnam
Vietnam⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Vietnam's early history included periods of occupation by outside forces and eventual power consolidation under Vietnamese dynastic families. A succession of Han Chinese emperors ruled the area, which was centered on the Red River Valley, until approximately the 10th century. The Ly Dynasty (11th-13th century) created the first independent Vietnamese state, which was known as Dai Viet, and established their capital at Thang Long (Hanoi). Under the Tran Dynasty (13th-15th century), TRAN Hung Dao, one of Vietnam’s national heroes, led Dai Viet forces to fight off Mongol invaders in 1279. After a brief Chinese occupation in the early 1400s, Vietnamese resistance leader LE Thai To made himself emperor and established the Le Dynasty, which lasted until the late 18th century despite decades of political turmoil, civil war, and division. During this period, Dai Viet expanded southward to the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta, reaching the approximate boundaries of modern-day Vietnam by the 1750s. Dai Viet suffered additional civil war and division in the latter half of the 18th century, but it was reunited and renamed Vietnam under Emperor NGUYEN Phuc Anh (aka Gia Long) in 1802.
France began its conquest of Vietnam in 1858 and made Vietnam part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but the French continued to rule until communist forces under Ho Chi MINH defeated them in 1954. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. Fighting erupted between the two governments shortly afterwards with the North supporting communist rebels in the South and eventually committing thousands of combat troops. The US provided to the South significant economic and military assistance, including large numbers of US military forces, which reached a peak strength of over 500,000 troops in 1968. US combat forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South, reuniting the country under communist rule. The conflict, known as the Second Indochina War (1955-1975), devastated Vietnam, spilled over into the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos, and is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of up to 3 million Vietnamese civilians and soldiers. It also caused more than 58,000 US combat and non-combat deaths and created deep domestic divisions in the US.
Despite the return of peace, the country experienced little economic growth for over a decade because of its diplomatic isolation, leadership policies, and the persecution and mass exodus of citizens, many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, the economy has seen strong growth, particularly in agricultural and industrial production, construction, exports, foreign investment, and tourism. Nevertheless, the Communist Party maintains tight political and social control of the country, and Vietnam faces many related challenges, such as rising income inequality and corruption.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 310,070 sq km
- Water
- 21,140 sq km
- Total
- 331,210 sq km
- Climate
- tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
- Terrain
- low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Land Use
- Other
- 13.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 47% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 39.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 21.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 15.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 2% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia
- Coastline
- 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- South China Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
- Mean elevation
- 398 m
- Irrigated land
- 46,000 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Southeast Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 4,616 km
- Border countries
- Cambodia 1,158 km; China 1,297 km; Laos 2,161 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
- Geography note
- note 1: extending 1,650 km (1,025 mi) north to south, the country is only 50 km (31 mi) across at its narrowest point
note 2: Son Doong in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is the world's largest cave (greatest cross-sectional area) and is the largest known cave passage in the world by volume at 38.5 million cu m (about 1.35 billion cu ft); it connects to Thoong cave, but not yet officially -- when recognized, it will add an additional 1.6 million cu m; it is so massive that it contains its own jungle, underground river, and localized weather system, with clouds forming inside the cave and spewing from its exits - Natural resources
- antimony, phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land
- Area comparative
- about three times the size of Tennessee; slightly larger than New Mexico
- Geographic coordinates
- 16 10 N, 107 50 E
- Population distribution
- though it has one of the highest population densities in the world, the population is not evenly dispersed; clustering is heaviest along the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin, with the Mekong Delta (in the south) and the Red River Valley (in the north) having the largest concentrations of people
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Pacific ocean drainage
- Mekong (805,604 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Sông Tiên Giang (Mekong) river mouth (shared with China [s], Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia) - 4,350 km; Pearl river source (shared with China [m]) - 2,200 km; Red river mouth (shared with China [s]) - 1,149 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 97.2% (2022 est.)
- Female
- 95.1% (2022 est.)
- Total population
- 96.1% (2022 est.)
Languages
- Languages
- Vietnamese (official); English (often as a second language); some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain-area languages (including Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
- Major language sample(s)
Dữ kiện thế giới, là nguồn thông tin cơ bản không thể thiếu. (Vietnamese)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Catholic 6.1%, Buddhist 5.8%, Protestant 1%, other 0.8%, none 86.3% (2019 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.1 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.12 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.69 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 14.58 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 32 years
- Total
- 33.5 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 34.2 years
Population
- Male
- 53,597,784
- Total
- 106,688,169 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 53,090,385
Nationality
- Noun
- Vietnamese (singular and plural)
- Adjective
- Vietnamese
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 43.1% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 22% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2.1% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 39.5% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.7% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 23.2% (male 12,953,719/female 11,579,690)
- 15 64 years
- 68.5% (male 36,591,845/female 35,887,201)
- 65 years and over
- 8.3% (2024 est.) (male 3,563,611/female 5,182,909)
- Ethnic groups
- Kinh (Viet) 85.3%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.9%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.4%, Mong 1.4%, Nung 1.1%, other 5.5% (2019 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 1.9% (2021)
- Women married BY age 15
- 1.1% (2021)
- Women married BY age 18
- 14.6% (2021)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 46.4 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 33.6 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 7.8 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 12.8 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.11 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 4.6% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 10.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 2.6 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.01 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 97.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 98% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 2.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 2.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 15.4% national budget (2022 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.86% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.96 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- though it has one of the highest population densities in the world, the population is not evenly dispersed; clustering is heaviest along the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin, with the Mekong Delta (in the south) and the Red River Valley (in the north) having the largest concentrations of people
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 73.5 years
- Female
- 78.9 years
- Total population
- 76.1 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 48 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 90.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 94.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 9.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 5.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 3.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 9.321 million Ho Chi Minh City, 5.253 million HANOI (capital), 1.865 million Can Tho, 1.423 million Hai Phong, 1.221 million Da Nang, 1.111 million Bien Hoa (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 2.1% (2016)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 72.8% (2021 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 9.7% (2023 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 15 years (2022 est.)
- Total
- 14 years (2022 est.)
- Female
- 14 years (2022 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: red field with a five-pointed yellow star in the center
meaning: red stands for revolution and blood, and the five-pointed star for the five elements of the populace -- peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers -- that unite to build socialism
Capital
- Name
- Hanoi (Ha Noi)
- Etymology
- the name means "inside the river," from the Vietnamese words ha (river) and noi (inside), and refers to its location in a bend of the Red River
- Time difference
- UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 21 02 N, 105 51 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Vietnam
- Dual citizenship recognized
- no
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 28 November 2013, effective 1 January 2014
- Amendment process
- proposed by the president, by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee, or by at least two thirds of the National Assembly membership; a decision to draft an amendment requires approval by at least a two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership, followed by the formation of a constitutional drafting committee to write a draft and collect citizens’ opinions; passage requires at least two-thirds majority of the Assembly membership; the Assembly can opt to conduct a referendum
Country Name
- Former
- Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
- Etymology
- the name translates as "Viet south;" Viet is an ethnic term of unknown origin that dates back to ancient times, and nam (south) refers to the country's location
- Abbreviation
- SRV
- Local long form
- Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
- Local short form
- Viet Nam
- Conventional long form
- Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- Conventional short form
- Vietnam
- Independence
- 2 September 1945 (from France)
- Legal system
- civil law system with European influences
- Government type
- communist party-led state
Judicial Branch
- Note
- note: the National Assembly Standing Committee can establish special tribunals on the recommendation of the chief justice
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- High Courts (administrative, civil, criminal, economic, labor, family, juvenile); provincial courts; district courts; Military Court
- Judge selection and term of office
- chief justice elected by the National Assembly upon the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; deputy chief justice appointed by the president from among the judges for a 5-year term; judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly for 5-year terms
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: in August 2024, To LAM was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country’s most powerful position
- Cabinet
- Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, confirmed by the National Assembly, and appointed by the president
- Chief of state
- President Luong CUONG (since 21 Oct 2024)
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Pham Minh CHINH (since 26 July 2021)
- Election/appointment process
- president indirectly elected by the National Assembly from among its members for a single 5-year term; prime minister recommended by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
- National holiday
- Independence Day (National Day), 2 September (1945)
- National color(s)
- red, yellow
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 9 (6 cultural, 2 natural, 1 mixed)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Complex of Hué Monuments (c); Ha Long Bay (n); Hoi An Ancient Town (c); My Son Sanctuary (c); Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (n); Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi (c); Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (c); Trang An Landscape Complex (m); Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes (c)
- Political parties
- Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 500 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 5/23/2021
- Expected date of next election
- March 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 31.4%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Communist Party (485); Other (14)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Tien quan ca" (The Song of the Marching Troops)
- History
- adopted as the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945; it became the national anthem of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976; only the first verse is used as the official anthem
- Lyrics/music
- Nguyen Van CAO
- National symbol(s)
- five-pointed yellow star on a red field, lotus blossom
- Administrative divisions
- 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural)
provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai
municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Ha Noi (Hanoi), Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 861-0917
- Chancery
- 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 861-0737
- Consulate(s)
- New York
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Nguyen Quoc DZUNG (since 19 April 2022)
- Consulate(s) general
- Houston, San Francisco
- Email address and website
vanphong@vietnamembassy.us
http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [84] (24) 3850-5010
- Embassy
- 7 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi
- Telephone
- [84] (24) 3850-5000
- Mailing address
- 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Marc KNAPPER (since 11 February 2022)
- Consulate(s) general
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Email address and website
ACShanoi@state.gov
https://vn.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (2024)
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
VIETNAM · LEGISLATURE
National Assembly
500 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
500
Majority line
251
Largest party
Communist Party of Vietnam
Parties
1
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Tô Lâm
- Head of State
Phạm Minh Chính
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $68.818 billion (2022 est.)
- Expenditures
- $83.707 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $429.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $385.241 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $374.986 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $429.383 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $398.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $369.746 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $339.785 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $398.672 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones
- Labor force
- 57.133 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 58.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
- Note
- note: official data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
- Public debt 2017
- 58.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 3.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- dong (VND) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 23,208.368 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 23,159.783 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 23,271.212 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 23,787.319 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 24,164.886 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $34.426 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- lower middle-income socialist East Asian economy; rapid economic growth since Đổi Mới reforms; strong investment and productivity growth; tourism and manufacturing hub; TPP signatory; declining poverty aside from ethnic minorities; systemic corruption
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.5%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 1.6% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 1.7% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 1.5% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- USA 28%, China 20%, Japan 6%, Hong Kong 4%, Germany 3% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 49%, Singapore 6%, Japan 6%, Hong Kong 5%, Taiwan 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $16,386
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $13,000 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $13,500 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $14,400 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 7.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 8.5% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 7.1% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- rice, vegetables, sugarcane, cassava, maize, pork, fruits, bananas, coconuts, coffee (2023)
- Exports commodities
- broadcasting equipment, garments, integrated circuits, machine parts, footwear (2023)
- Imports commodities
- integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, fabric, plastics, telephones (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $30.2B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $1.402 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $25.793 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $28.047 billion (2024 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $476.388 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 54.3% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 8.8% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 1.5% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 30.1% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 86.5% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -78.4% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 4.3% (2022 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 34.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 1.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.6%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 3.2% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 3.3% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3.6% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 8.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.456 trillion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.294 trillion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.359 trillion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $1.456 trillion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 7% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 6.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 6.6% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $86.54 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $92.238 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $83.082 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 37.6% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 42.4% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 11.9% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.6% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 28.1% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 36.1 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 815,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 43.637 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 51.519 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 96.099 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 3.116 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 187,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 4.4 billion barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 544,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 933.237 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 3.106 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 277.501 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 85.725 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 18.197 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Production
- 7.48 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 7.48 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 699.426 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 40.263 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 4.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 50.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 34.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 78% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state-controlled broadcast media, with oversight from the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); state-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), has several channels with regional broadcasting centers; law limits access to satellite TV, but many access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; state-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on several channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations (2018)
- Internet country code
- .vn
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 2.316 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 2 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 129 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 128 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 22.8 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 23 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 6
- Medium
- 1
- Key ports
- Da Nang, Hai Phong, Nghe Tinh, Nha Trang, Thanh Ho Chi Minh, Vinh Cam Ranh, Vung Tau
- Very small
- 9
- Total ports
- 16 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 12
- Airports
- 36 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 2,600 km (2014)
- Narrow gauge
- 2,169 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
- Standard gauge
- 178 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge
- Heliports
- 26 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 1,973 (2022)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 117, container ship 45, general cargo 1,176, oil tanker 134, other 501
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- VN
Environment
- Climate
- tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
Geoparks
- Global geoparks and regional networks
- Dak Nong; Dong Van Karst Plateau; Lang Son; Non nuoc Cao Bang (2025)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 4 (2025)
Land Use
- Other
- 13.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 47% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 39.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 21.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 15.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 2% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 39.5% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.7% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 40.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 683.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 806.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 2,146.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 9.57 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 46% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation and soil degradation from logging and slash-and-burn agriculture; water pollution; overfishing; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; air pollution
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 1.206 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 3.074 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 77.75 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 305.404 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 14.52 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 218.502 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 72.383 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 20.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 884.12 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- since withdrawing its military occupation forces from Cambodia in the late 1980s and the end of Soviet aid in 1991, Vietnam has practiced a non-aligned foreign policy and security doctrine known as the "Four Nos" (no alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign bases, and no using force in international relations); despite longstanding tensions with Beijing over maritime boundaries in the South China Sea, Vietnam puts a priority on stable relations with China, given its proximity, size, and status as Vietnam's largest trading partner
the responsibilities of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) include protecting the country's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests, as well as assisting civilian authorities with natural disasters; in recent years, the PAVN has placed additional emphasis on protecting Vietnam's interests in the disputed South China Sea; the military is also involved in economic projects, such as electrical infrastructure, oil and gas services, hydroelectric projects, aviation and seaport services, telecommunications, and the shipbuilding industry, while military-owned factories and enterprises produce weapons and equipment (2025) - Military deployments
- 200 Abyei/South Sudan/Sudan (UNISFA) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2019
- 2.3% of GDP (2019 est.)
- Military expenditures 2020
- 2.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 2.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military and security forces
- People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; aka Vietnam People's Army, VPA): Ground Forces (Army), Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Defense - Air Force, Vietnam Border Guard, Vietnam Coast Guard
Vietnam People's Ministry of Public Security; Vietnam Civil Defense Force (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service for men and women (in practice only men are drafted); service obligation is 24-36 months depending on the branch of service (including Coast Guard and Ministry of Public Security) (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the PAVN is equipped largely with armaments from Russia and the former Soviet Union; in recent years, Vietnam has moved to diversify its arms suppliers and has acquired items from countries such as India, Israel, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the US; Vietnam has a small defense industry involved in the manufacture of small arms, ground combat vehicles, and naval systems (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 450,000 active-duty People's Army of Vietnam (2025)
Space
- Space agency/agencies
- Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC; established 2011) (2025)
- Space program overview
- has a growing national space program focused on acquiring, operating, and exploiting satellites, as well as expanding domestic capabilities in satellites and associated sub-system production, space sciences, and technology applications; builds and operates communications and remote sensing satellites; conducting research and development on space science and applied space technologies, such as advanced optics and space data exploitation; has worked closely with Japan on its space program; has also established relationships with the space agencies or commercial space sectors of some European countries (such as France), India, and the US (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 1980 - first Vietnamese astronaut/cosmonaut into space on Soviet spacecraft
2008 - first telecommunications satellite (VINASAT-1) built by US company and launched on European rocket
2012 - first educational/scientific cube satellite (F-1) built jointly with and launched by Japan; second telecommunications satellite (VINASAT-2) built by US and launched on European rocket
2013 - first domestically built remote-sensing (RS)/technology-demonstrator cube satellite (PicoDragon) launched by Japan; first RS satellite (VNREDSat-1a or Vietnam Natural Resources, Environment, and Disaster Monitoring Satellite) launched on European rocket
2016 - signed an agreement with India to establish a satellite tracking and imaging center in Ho Chi Minh City in exchange for access to Indian RS imagery
2018 - completed National Space Center in Hanoi
2021 - announced a developmental roadmap for producing “Made in Vietnam” small satellites as part of a larger effort to increase space sciences and technology through 2030; signed an agreement with Japan to increase cooperation on space defense
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 2,568 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 19 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 20,590 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index26.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4144 / 190−13.02024-Q4
Civica Pulse−2.3as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.12as of 2024-Q4130 / 170+0.022024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (8/100)as of 2024-Q4—−6.52024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (22/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.726as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index41 / 100as of 202383 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Vietnam — vintage 2026-Q1: Vietnam factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/vietnam
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata