Vietnam is a young, rapidly developing country, with a median age of 33.4 years (32.5 for males and 34.3 for females) in 2023. Its population is rising by about 0.71% per year, and around 38.4% of people live in urban areas. Agriculture still plays a major role, employing 27.6% of the workforce. Throughout the page, you’ll see how these patterns align with health, demography, and geography.
Key Takeaways
- Vietnam's total population as of mid-2023 is estimated at 98,858,950 people, with an annual growth rate of 0.71%
- The median age in Vietnam is 33.4 years as of 2023, with males at 32.5 years and females at 34.3 years
- Vietnam's population density is 307 people per square kilometer as of 2023, ranking 37th globally
- Vietnam's GDP nominal in 2023 is $433.3 billion USD, ranking 35th globally
- GDP per capita in Vietnam reached $4,282 USD in 2023, up from $2,800 in 2020
- Real GDP growth rate was 5.05% in 2023, following 8.02% in 2022
- Vietnam's total land area is 331,210 square kilometers, ranking 65th globally
- Coastline length is 3,444 km, with over 4,000 islands
- Highest point is Fan Si Pan at 3,144 meters in the Hoang Lien Son mountains
- Vietnam is a unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic led by the Communist Party since 1975
- National Assembly has 500 members elected for 5-year terms
- President Vo Van Thuong elected in 2023, head of state
- Life expectancy at birth is 75.7 years overall in 2022 (73.7 male, 77.8 female)
- Infant mortality rate is 15.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Maternal mortality ratio is 43 deaths per 100,000 live births as of 2020
Vietnam’s population is nearing 99 million with rising urbanization and steady growth, as GDP per capita climbs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics30 stats
01
Vietnam's total population as of mid-2023 is estimated at 98,858,950 people, with an annual growth rate of 0.71%
02
The median age in Vietnam is 33.4 years as of 2023, with males at 32.5 years and females at 34.3 years
03
Vietnam's population density is 307 people per square kilometer as of 2023, ranking 37th globally
04
Approximately 38.4% of Vietnam's population lives in urban areas as of 2023, up from 19% in 1989
05
Vietnam has 54 officially recognized ethnic groups, with the Kinh (Viet) comprising 85.7% of the population
06
Buddhism is practiced by 14.9% of Vietnamese, while 45.1% identify as unaffiliated or folk religion adherents as of recent surveys
07
Vietnamese is the official language spoken by 86% as a first language, with English increasingly used among youth
08
Life expectancy at birth in Vietnam is 73.6 years for males and 80.8 years for females as of 2023
09
The total fertility rate in Vietnam is 1.96 children per woman as of 2023, below the replacement level of 2.1
10
Net migration rate for Vietnam is -0.4 migrants per 1,000 population annually as of 2023
11
Vietnam's population pyramid shows a contracting top due to low fertility, with 23.3% under age 15
12
Hanoi, the capital, has a population of 8.4 million in its metropolitan area as of 2023
13
Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city, has 9.8 million residents as of 2023 estimates
14
Vietnam's sex ratio at birth is 1.06 males per female, with overall population sex ratio of 0.98
15
About 7.7% of Vietnam's population is over 65 years old as of 2023, indicating rapid aging
16
Vietnam ranks 66th in population size globally with 98.8 million people
17
The working-age population (15-64) constitutes 68.5% of Vietnam's total population in 2023
18
Vietnam's youth unemployment rate among 15-24 year olds was 7.2% in 2022
19
Internal migration from rural to urban areas reached 2.5 million people annually in recent years
20
Ethnic minorities make up 14.7% of the population, concentrated in highlands
21
Female literacy rate in Vietnam is 94.5% for ages 15 and above as of 2022
22
Vietnam's population is projected to peak at 105 million by 2040 before declining
23
Da Nang city's population grew to 1.25 million by 2023
24
Overseas Vietnamese diaspora numbers about 5.3 million as of 2023
25
Child population (0-14 years) is 22.7% of total in 2023
26
Vietnam's urbanization rate is projected to reach 50% by 2030
27
Male life expectancy improved from 68.5 in 2000 to 73.6 in 2023
28
Population below poverty line (daily $2.15) dropped to 1.8% by 2022
29
Hai Phong metro population is 2.1 million as of 2023
30
Vietnam's dependency ratio is 46.1% as of 2023
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
As Vietnam’s population grows to about 98.9 million with a 0.71% annual rate, rising urbanization to 38.4% and a young median age of 33.4 years are reshaping its demographics alongside a multiethnic makeup where the Kinh make up 85.7% of the population.
02 · Category
Economy30 stats
01
Vietnam's GDP nominal in 2023 is $433.3 billion USD, ranking 35th globally
02
GDP per capita in Vietnam reached $4,282USD in 2023, up from $2,800 in 2020
03
Real GDP growth rate was 5.05% in 2023, following 8.02% in 2022
04
Agriculture sector contributes 12.46% to GDP in 2022, employing 27.6% of workforce
05
Industry sector accounts for 37.54% of GDP in 2022, driven by manufacturing
06
Services sector makes up 41.68% of GDP as of 2022
07
Exports of goods and services were 93.1% of GDP in 2022, totaling $371 billion
08
Major exports include electronics ($114 billion in 2022), textiles, and footwear
09
Foreign direct investment inflows reached $17.9 billion in 2022
10
Unemployment rate in Vietnam was 1.92% in 2023, one of the lowest in Asia
11
Public debt as percentage of GDP is 37.1% as of 2023
12
Inflation rate (CPI) averaged 3.25% in 2023
13
Vietnam's stock market capitalization is $244 billion as of 2023, with VN-Index at 1,127 points
14
Remittances received $18.1 billion in 2022, 4.4% of GDP
15
Labor force totals 56.95 million as of 2022
16
Manufacturing value added grew 9.5% in 2022, contributing 25% to GDP
17
Tourism revenue reached $28 billion in 2023 with 12.6 million international visitors
18
Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee exporter, shipping 1.78 million tons in 2022/23
19
Rice production hit 43.5 million tons in 2022, making Vietnam top 3rd globally
20
Corporate tax rate is 20%, with incentives for FDI in high-tech sectors
21
Ease of doing business rank improved to 70th in 2020 World Bank report
22
Foreign exchange reserves stood at $109 billion in 2023
23
Household consumption expenditure is 64.5% of GDP in 2022
24
Vietnam's credit rating is BB+ from Fitch as of 2023
25
Garment exports totaled $44 billion in 2022
26
Smartphone exports reached $52.4 billion in 2022, led by Samsung
27
Government expenditure is 33.8% of GDP in 2023
28
6.27% real GDP growth in 2019 for Vietnam
29
2.91% real GDP growth in 2020 for Vietnam
30
2.56% real GDP growth in 2021 for Vietnam
Interpretation
Economy Interpretation
Vietnam’s economy is expanding with real GDP growth easing from 8.02% in 2022 to 5.05% in 2023 while GDP per capita climbs from $2,800 in 2020 to $4,282 in 2023, and the structure remains anchored by a services-led output share of 41.68% in 2022.
report visual · Projection
Vietnam real GDP growth slowed and rebounded (2019–2022)
Vietnam’s real GDP growth rate declined from 2019 to a low in 2021, then rebounded in 2022; the leader year is 2019 (highest), with a clear dip toward 2021 (lowest) before the rise
6.3 percent
Start
-4.51%
CAGR · 3y
5.5 percent
Projected
20192022
source-verifieddata.worldbank.org2022
03 · Category
Geography And Environment30 stats
01
Vietnam's total land area is 331,210 square kilometers, ranking 65th globally
02
Coastline length is 3,444 km, with over 4,000 islands
03
Highest point is Fan Si Pan at 3,144 meters in the Hoang Lien Son mountains
04
Lowest point is the South China Sea at 0 meters
05
Climate is tropical in south, monsoonal in north with average temperature 24°C
06
Natural resources include phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite
07
Arable land constitutes 20.6% of total land area as of 2021
08
Forest area covers 41.99% of land, or 138,950 sq km in 2021
09
Mekong Delta region comprises 12% of land but produces 50% of rice
10
Red River Delta has population density of 1,100 people/sq km
11
Annual mean rainfall is 1,500-2,000 mm, highest in central highlands
12
Vietnam is vulnerable to typhoons, with 6-10 per year affecting coasts
13
Protected areas cover 9.5% of land, including 31 national parks
14
Biodiversity includes 12,000 plant species, 1,030 birds, 290 mammals
15
Sea level rise threatens 10% of population in Mekong Delta by 2050
16
Renewable water resources per capita are 10,056 cubic meters annually
17
Air pollution PM2.5 concentration averaged 28.2 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022
18
Permanent crops occupy 11.5% of land area in 2021
19
Volcanic activity last noted in 1923 at Ile des Cendres
20
Major rivers include Mekong (4,220 km shared), Red River (1,149 km)
21
Elevation extremes range from 3,144 m to -5 m (delta areas)
22
Desert/other covers 0.07% of land, mostly sand dunes
23
Annual deforestation rate slowed to 0.13% from 1990-2020
24
Coral reefs span 1,100 km along coast
25
Central Highlands average elevation 500-1,500 m, coffee production hub
26
Typhoon season peaks September-November, causing $1.5B damage yearly avg
27
Carbon dioxide emissions totaled 286.7 million metric tons in 2021
28
Mangrove forests cover 200,000 hectares, vital for coastal protection
29
Vietnam lies on Pacific Ring of Fire, moderate earthquake risk
30
Freshwater withdrawal is 75.4 billion cubic meters annually, 96% for agriculture
Interpretation
Geography And Environment Interpretation
With a 3,444 km coastline dotted by over 4,000 islands, Vietnam’s geography and environment are defined by strong sea influence and varied terrain, stretching from sea level to Fan Si Pan’s 3,144 m peak.
More related reading
04 · Category
Government And Infrastructure27 stats
01
Vietnam is a unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic led by the Communist Party since 1975
02
National Assembly has 500 members elected for 5-year terms
03
President Vo Van Thuong elected in 2023, head of state
04
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh appointed in 2021, head of government
05
Constitution adopted in 2013, effective 1 January 2014
06
Suffrage age is 18 years, universal
07
Administrative divisions include 58 provinces and 5 municipalities
08
Active military personnel number 482,000, with 5 million reserves
09
Defense budget is 2.3% of GDP in 2023, about $8 billion
10
Paved roadways total 130,467 km as of 2021
11
Airports number 45 with paved runways over 3,000m: 11 as of 2023
12
Internet users are 78.5 million, 79.1% penetration in 2023
13
Mobile cellular subscriptions are 158 per 100 people in 2022
14
Fixed broadband subscriptions are 21.7 per 100 in 2022
15
Railways total 2,600 km, mostly single track meter gauge
16
Merchant marine fleet has 1,873 ships totaling 8.98 million DWT as of 2022
17
Electricity production is 282 billion kWh annually, access 99.4% in 2022
18
Hanoi metro system (Cat Linh–Ha Dong line) opened 2021, 13 km
19
Corruption Perceptions Index score is 42/100 in 2022, ranking 77th
20
Human Freedom Index rank is 117th with score 5.57 in 2022
21
Press Freedom Index rank 178th out of 180 in 2023
22
Women in parliament constitute 30.3% as of 2023
23
HDI value is 0.726 (high), ranking 115th in 2022
24
Rule of Law Index score 0.44, ranking 73rd in 2023
25
Ports handle 692 million tons cargo annually, Cai Mep-Thi Vai largest
26
5G coverage launched in major cities in 2022, subscribers growing
27
Judicial review by Supreme People's Court, no constitutional court
Interpretation
Government And Infrastructure Interpretation
Vietnam’s Government and Infrastructure is shaped by a tightly centralized one-party system that operates through a 500-seat National Assembly with five-year terms, alongside a constitution adopted in 2013 that took effect on 1 January 2014.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Vietnam Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vietnam-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Vietnam Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vietnam-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Vietnam Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vietnam-statistics.
Sources & references
1 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level