2021 Edition

Background

Ancient Vietnam was centered on the Red River Valley and was under Han Chinese rule until approximately the 10th century. The Ly Dynasty (11th-13th century) ruled 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), Dai Viet forces led by one of Vietnam’s national heroes, TRAN Hang Dao, fought off Mongol invaders in 1279. Following a brief Chinese occupation in the early 1400s, the leader of Vietnamese resistance, LE Thai To, made himself emperor and established the Le Dynasty, which lasted until the late 18th century, although not without 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 was reunited and renamed Vietnam under Emperor NGUYEN Phuc Anh (aka Gia Long) in 1802.The Nguyen Dynasty would be the last Vietnamese dynasty before the conquest by France, which began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. Vietnam became part of French Indochina in 1887. It declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of its diplomatic isolation, its conservative leadership policies, and the persecution and mass exodus of individuals, many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. Since implementation, the economy has seen strong growth, particularly in agricultural and industrial production, construction, exports, and foreign investment. Increased tourism has also become a key component of economic growth. Nevertheless, the Communist Party maintains tight political and social control of the country and Vietnam faces considerable challenges including rising income inequality, corruption, inadequate social welfare, and a poor human rights record.Since withdrawing its military occupation forces from Cambodia in the late 1980s and the end of Soviet aid by 1991, Vietnam has practiced a non-aligned foreign policy that emphasizes friendly ties with all members of the international community. Relatedly, Vietnam adheres to a security doctrine called 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 regarding its expansive claims that overlap with Hanoi's own claimed 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.

Area

land

310,070 sq km

total

331,210 sq km

water

21,140 sq km

Area - comparative

about three times the size of Tennessee; slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Coastline

3,444 km (excludes islands)

Elevation

highest point

Fan Si Pan 3,144 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

mean elevation

398 m

Geographic coordinates

16 10 N, 107 50 E

Geography - note

note 1: extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km 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; it currently measures a total of 38.5 million cu m (about 1.35 billion cu ft); it connects to Thung cave (but not yet officially); when recognized, it will add an additional 1.6 million cu m in volume; Son Doong is so massive that it contains its own jungle, underground river, and localized weather system; clouds form inside the cave and spew out from its exits and two dolines (openings (sinkhole skylights) created by collapsed ceilings that allow sunlight to stream in)

Irrigated land

46,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Cambodia 1158 km, China 1297 km, Laos 2161 km

total

4,616 km

Land use

agricultural land

34.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 12.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.1% (2018 est.)

forest

45% (2018 est.)

other

20.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia

Major rivers (by length in km)

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta

Natural resources

antimony, phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land

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

Terrain

low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Age structure

0-14 years

22.61% (male 11,733,704/female 10,590,078)

15-24 years

15.22% (male 7,825,859/female 7,202,716)

25-54 years

45.7% (male 22,852,429/female 22,262,566)

55-64 years

9.55% (male 4,412,111/female 5,016,880)

65 years and over

6.91% (male 2,702,963/female 4,121,969) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

16.04 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

13.4% (2017)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

76.5% (2018/19)

Current Health Expenditure

5.9% (2018)

Death rate

5.78 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

When Vietnam was reunified in 1975, the country had a youthful age structure and a high fertility rate.  The population growth rate slowed dramatically during the next 25 years, as fertility declined and infant mortality and life expectancy improved.  The country’s adoption of a one-or-two-child policy in 1988 led to increased rates of contraception and abortion.  The total fertility rate dropped rapidly from nearly 5 in 1979 to 2.1 or replacement level in 1990, and at 1.8 is below replacement level today.  Fertility is higher in the more rural central highlands and northern uplands, which are inhabited primarily by poorer ethnic minorities, and is lower among the majority Kinh, ethnic Chinese, and a few other ethnic groups, particularly in urban centers.  With more than two-thirds of the population of working age (15-64), Vietnam has the potential to reap a demographic dividend for approximately three decades (between 2010 and 2040).  However, its ability to do so will depend on improving the quality of education and training for its workforce and creating jobs.  The Vietnamese Government is also considering changes to the country’s population policy because if the country’s fertility rate remains below replacement level, it could lead to a worker shortage in the future. Vietnam has experienced both internal migration and net emigration, both for humanitarian and economic reasons, for the last several decades.  Internal migration – rural-rural and rural-urban, temporary and permanent – continues to be a means of coping with Vietnam’s extreme weather and flooding.  Although Vietnam’s population is still mainly rural, increasing numbers of young men and women have been drawn to the country’s urban centers where they are more likely to find steady jobs and higher pay in the growing industrial and service sectors. The aftermath of the Vietnam War in 1975 resulted in an outpouring of approximately 1.6 million Vietnamese refugees over the next two decades.  Between 1975 and 1997, programs such as the Orderly Departure Program and the Comprehensive Plan of Action resettled hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees abroad, including the United States (880,000), China (260,000, mainly ethnic Chinese Hoa), Canada (160,000), Australia (155,000), and European countries (150,000).  In the 1980s, some Vietnamese students and workers began to migrate to allied communist countries, including the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and East Germany.  The vast majority returned home following the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in the early 1990s.  Since that time, Vietnamese labor migrants instead started to pursue opportunities in Asia and the Middle East.  They often perform low-skilled jobs under harsh conditions for low pay and are vulnerable to forced labor, including debt bondage to the private brokers who arrange the work contracts.  Despite Vietnam’s current labor surplus, the country has in recent years attracted some foreign workers, mainly from China and other Asian countries.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.4

potential support ratio

8.8 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

45.1

youth dependency ratio

33.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 92.6% of population

improved: total

total: 94.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 7.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 5.3% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.4% of population

Education expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2019)

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.)

note

note: 54 ethnic groups are recognized by the Vietnamese Government

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,800 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

250,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant mortality rate

female

14.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

15.42 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.09 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.12 years (2021 est.)

male

72.67 years

total population

75.25 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.6% (2019)

male

97%

total population

95.8%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis

Major urban areas - population

8.838 million Ho Chi Minh City, 4.875 million HANOI (capital), 1.703 million Can Tho, 1.341 million Hai Phong, 1.157 million Da Nang, 1.046 million Bien Hoa (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

43 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

33 years (2020 est.)

male

30.8 years

total

31.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Vietnamese

noun

Vietnamese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

2.1% (2016)

Physicians density

0.83 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

102,789,598 (July 2021 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

Population growth rate

1% (2021 est.)

Religions

Catholic 6.1%, Buddhist 5.8%, Protestant 1%, other 0.8%, none 86.3% (2019 est.)

note

note: most Vietnamese are culturally Buddhist

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 82.1% of population

improved: total

total: 87.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 17.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 12.7% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.1% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.11 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

at birth

1.09 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.06 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

8.9% (2020 est.)

male

6.6%

total

7.6%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.7% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

38.1% of total population (2021)

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)

Capital

etymology

the city has had many names in its history going back to A.D. 1010 when it first became the capital of imperial Vietnam; in 1831, it received its current name of Ha Noi, meaning "between the rivers," which refers to its geographic location

geographic coordinates

21 02 N, 105 51 E

name

Hanoi (Ha Noi)

time difference

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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

history

several previous; latest adopted 28 November 2013, effective 1 January 2014

Country name

abbreviation

SRV

conventional long form

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

conventional short form

Vietnam

etymology

"Viet nam" translates as "Viet south," where "Viet" is an ethnic self identification dating to a second century B.C. kingdom and "nam" refers to its location in relation to other Viet kingdoms

local long form

Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam

local short form

Viet Nam

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Christopher KLEIN (since 16 April 2021)

consulate(s) general

Ho Chi Minh City

email address and website

ACShanoi@state.govhttps://vn.usembassy.gov/

embassy

7 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi

FAX

[84] (24) 3850-5010

mailing address

4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550

telephone

[84] (24) 3850-5000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Ha Kim NGOC (since 17 September 2018)

consulate(s)

New York

consulate(s) general

Houston, San Francisco

email address and website

vanphong@vietnamembassy.ushttp://vietnamembassy-usa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 861-0917

telephone

[1] (202) 861-0737

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet proposed by prime minister confirmed by the National Assembly and appointed by the president

chief of state

President Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 26 July 2021)

election results

Pham Minh CHINH (CPV) reelected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 95.9%; Nguyen Xuan PHUC (CPV) reelected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 96.8%

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by National Assembly from among its members for a single 5-year term; prime minister recommended by the president and confirmed by National Assembly; deputy prime ministers confirmed by the National Assembly and appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister  Pham Minh CHINH (since 26 July 2021)

Flag description

red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center; red symbolizes revolution and blood, the five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace - peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers - that unite to build socialism

Government type

communist state

Independence

2 September 1945 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges)

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

subordinate courts

High Courts (administrative, civil, criminal, economic, labor, family, juvenile); provincial courts; district courts; Military Court; note - the National Assembly Standing Committee can establish special tribunals upon the recommendation of the chief justice

Legal system

civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi  (500 seats - number following 2021 election - 499; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote in 2016 election by party -CPV 95.8%, non-party members 4.2%; seats by party - CPV 474, non-party CPV-approved 20, self-nominated 2; note - 494 candidates elected, 2 CPV candidates-elect were disqualified; composition - men 364, women 122, percent of women 26.6%

elections

last held on 23 May 2021 (next to be held in spring 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Nguyen Van CAO

name

"Tien quan ca" (The Song of the Marching Troops)

note

note: 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; although it consists of two verses, only the first is used as the official anthem

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 2 September (1945)

National symbol(s)

yellow, five-pointed star on red field; lotus blossom; national colors: red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu TRONG]

note

note: other parties proscribed

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

rice, vegetables, sugar cane, cassava, maize, pork, fruit, bananas, coffee, coconuts

Budget

expenditures

69.37 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

54.59 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB (2018)

Moody's rating

Ba3 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating

BB (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$5.769 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$12.478 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$84.34 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$96.58 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Vietnam is a densely populated developing country that has been transitioning since 1986 from the rigidities of a centrally planned, highly agrarian economy to a more industrial and market based economy, and it has raised incomes substantially. Vietnam exceeded its 2017 GDP growth target of 6.7% with growth of 6.8%, primarily due to unexpected increases in domestic demand, and strong manufacturing exports.Vietnam has a young population, stable political system, commitment to sustainable growth, relatively low inflation, stable currency, strong FDI inflows, and strong manufacturing sector. In addition, the country is committed to continuing its global economic integration. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007 and concluded several free trade agreements in 2015-16, including the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (which the EU has not yet ratified), the Korean Free Trade Agreement, and the Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement. In 2017, Vietnam successfully chaired the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference with its key priorities including inclusive growth, innovation, strengthening small and medium enterprises, food security, and climate change. Seeking to diversify its opportunities, Vietnam also signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Transpacific Partnership in 2018 and continued to pursue the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.To continue its trajectory of strong economic growth, the government acknowledges the need to spark a ‘second wave’ of reforms, including reforming state-owned-enterprises, reducing red tape, increasing business sector transparency, reducing the level of non-performing loans in the banking sector, and increasing financial sector transparency. Vietnam’s public debt to GDP ratio is nearing the government mandated ceiling of 65%.In 2016, Vietnam cancelled its civilian nuclear energy development program, citing public concerns about safety and the high cost of the program; it faces growing pressure on energy infrastructure. Overall, the country’s infrastructure fails to meet the needs of an expanding middle class. Vietnam has demonstrated a commitment to sustainable growth over the last several years, but despite the recent speed-up in economic growth the government remains cautious about the risk of external shocks.

Exchange rates

currency

dong (VND) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

21,189 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

21,909 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

23,312.5 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

23,171.5 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

23,129 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017

$204.169 billion (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$258.49 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$280.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

broadcasting equipment, telephones, integrated circuits, footwear, furniture (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 23%, China 14%, Japan 8%, South Korea 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

100% (2017 est.)

government consumption

6.5% (2017 est.)

household consumption

66.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-101% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

2.8% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

15.3% (2017 est.)

industry

33.3% (2017 est.)

services

51.3% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$259.957 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2008

37.6 (2008)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

35.7 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.8% (2014)

lowest 10%

2.7%

Imports

Imports 2017

$217.684 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$245.63 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$261.68 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

integrated circuits, telephones, refined petroleum, textiles, semiconductors (2019)

Imports - partners

China 35%, South Korea 18%, Japan 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

8% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

3.5% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

3.5% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.7% (2019 est.)

Labor force

54.659 million (2019 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

40.3%

industry

25.7%

services

34% (2017)

Population below poverty line

6.7% (2018 est.)

Public debt

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 2016

59.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

58.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$724.81 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$775.67 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$798.21 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2016

6.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

7.16% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$7,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$8,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$8,200 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$36.91 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$49.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2017

2.2% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate 2018

3.11% (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

8.9% (2020 est.)

male

6.6%

total

7.6%

Crude oil - exports

324,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

242,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

143.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

713 million kWh (2017 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

56% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

43% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.733 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

40.77 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

158.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

8.098 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

8.098 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

699.4 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

438,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

25,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

282,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

153,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

17.16 (2020 est.)

total

16,699,249 (2020)

Broadcast media

government controls all broadcast media exercising oversight through the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); government-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), operates a network of several channels with regional broadcasting centers; programming is relayed nationwide via a network of provincial and municipal TV stations; law limits access to satellite TV but many households are able to access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; government-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on several channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2018)

Internet country code

.vn

Internet users

percent of population

70.29% (2020 est.)

total

68.72 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly; fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular 141 per 100 (2019)

general assessment

though communist, government plans to partially privatize the state’s holdings in telecom companies; competition is thriving in the telecom market place and driving e-commerce; mobile dominates over fixed-line; FttH market is growing; government is the driving force for growth with aims of commercializing 5G services with test licenses; Ho Chi Minh City to become the first smart city in Vietnam with cloud computing infrastructure, big data, data centers, and security-monitoring centers (2020)

international

country code - 84; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, APG, SJC2, AAE-1, AAG and the TGN-IA submarine cable system providing connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2020)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3.29 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,205,775 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

142.7 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

138,934,626 (2020)

Airports

total

45 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

13

2,438 to 3,047 m

6

914 to 1,523 m

9 (2013)

over 3,047 m

10

total

38

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

3

total

7

under 914 m

3 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VN

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 116, container ship 41, general cargo 1,193, oil tanker 125, other 451 (2021)

total

1,926

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

481.37 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

47,049,671 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

224

number of registered air carriers

5 (2020)

Pipelines

72 km condensate, 398 km condensate/gas, 955 km gas, 128 km oil, 33 km oil/gas/water, 206 km refined products, 13 km water (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Saigon (7,220,377), Cai Mep (3,742,384), Haiphong (5,133,150) (2019)

major seaport(s)

Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Haiphong, Phu My, Quy Nhon

river port(s)

Ho Chi Minh (Mekong)

Railways

narrow gauge

2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

178 km 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge (2014)

total

2,600 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

148,338 km (2013)

total

195,468 km (2013)

unpaved

47,130 km (2013)

Waterways

47,130 km (30,831 km weight under 50 tons) (2011)

Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; the number of reported incidents increased from two in 2019 to four in 2020, primarily near the port of Vung Tau

Military - note

the PAVN is the military arm of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and responsible to the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest party organ on military policy; the CMC is led by the CPV General Secretary as of 2021, Vietnam maintained a security policy of non-alignment, but noted in 2019 that it would consider developing appropriate defense and security relations with other countries depending on circumstances

Military and security forces

People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; aka Vietnam People's Army, VPA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force and Air Defense, Border Defense Force, and Vietnam Coast Guard; Vietnam People's Public Security Ministry; Vietnam Civil Defense Force (2021)

note

note(s) - the Public Security Ministry is responsible for internal security and controls the national police, a special national security investigative agency, and other internal security units; the Vietnam Coast Guard was established in 1998 as the Vietnam Marine Police and renamed in 2013; Vietnam officially established a maritime self-defense force (civilian militia) in 2010 after the National Assembly passed the Law on Militia and Self-Defense Forces in 2009; the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance (VFRS), established in 2013, is responsible for patrolling, monitoring for fishing violations, and carrying out fishery inspections; it is armed, allowed to use force if necessary, and works in tandem with the Vietnam Coast Guard

Military and security service personnel strengths

information is limited and estimates vary; approximately 470,000 active duty troops (400,000 ground; 40,000 naval; 30,000 air); estimated 40,000 Border Defense Force and Coast Guard (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the PAVN is armed largely with weapons and equipment from Russia and the former Soviet Union; Russia remains the main supplier of newer PAVN military equipment, although in recent years Vietnam has begun diversifying its procurement with purchases from other countries including Belarus, India, Israel, South Korea, and Ukraine; Vietnam has a limited defense industry (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

2.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (females eligible for conscription, but in practice only males are drafted); conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 2 years (Army, Air Defense) and 3 years (Navy and Air Force) (2021)

Disputes - international

southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of Asian swine fever; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activities; progress on a joint development area with Cambodia is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in China; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islands; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; China occupies the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending beyond as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Lousia Reef; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" eased tensions but differences between the parties negotiating the Code of Conduct continue; Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Economic Exclusion Zone negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and the two countries in Fall 2011 agreed to work together to reduce illegal fishing along their maritime boundary; in May 2018, Russia’s RosneftVietnam unit started drilling at a block southeast of Vietnam which is within the area outlined by China’s nine-dash line and Beijing issued a warning

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) trafficking heroin, crystal methamphetamine, and ketamine throughout East Asia and the Pacific; approximately 90% of the illicit drugs in the country originate in Laos, Burma, and Thailand

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

32,890 (2020); note - Vietnam's stateless ethnic Chinese Cambodian population dates to the 1970s when thousands of Cambodians fled to Vietnam to escape the Khmer Rouge and were no longer recognized as Cambodian citizens; Vietnamese women who gave up their citizenship to marry foreign men have found themselves stateless after divorcing and returning home to Vietnam; the government addressed this problem in 2009, and Vietnamese women are beginning to reclaim their citizenship

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Vietnam, and traffickers exploit Vietnamese abroad; Vietnamese men and women who migrate abroad for work may be subject to exploitation and illegally high fees from recruiters trapping them in debt bondage; traffickers subject victims to forced labor in construction, fishing, agriculture, mining, maritime industries, logging, and manufacturing, primarily in Taiwan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Laos, Japan, and to a lesser extent, some parts of Europe and the UK; traffickers mislead Vietnamese women and children with fraudulent employment opportunities and sex traffick them to brothels on the borders of China, Cambodia, Laos, and elsewhere in Asia; traffickers use the Internet, gaming sites, and particularly social media to lure victims; domestic traffickers are sometimes  family members or small-scale networks exploiting Vietnamese men, women, and children - including street children and children with disabilities - in forced labor as street beggars or in brick kilns and mines; child sex tourists from elsewhere in Asia and other countries exploit children; prisoners reportedly are forced to work in agriculture, manufacturing, and hazardous industries, such as cashew processing

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Vietnam does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; efforts include providing trafficking victims the right to legal representation in judicial proceedings, increasing the amount of shelter time for victims by one month, providing financial support, continuing large-scale awareness campaigns in vulnerable communities and to workers going overseas, and training law enforcement; however, fewer victims were identified or assisted and procedures remained slow and ineffective; provincial officials unfamiliar with anti-trafficking law impede anti-trafficking efforts; labor recruitment firms extorted illegal high fees from workers looking for overseas employment putting them at risk for forced labor; no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of officials complicit in trafficking offenses were made (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

192.67 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

110.4 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

29.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Environment - current issues

logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; air pollution; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

34.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 12.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.1% (2018 est.)

forest

45% (2018 est.)

other

20.2% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis

Major rivers (by length in km)

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.35% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

1.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

884.12 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

77.75 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

3.074 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

1.206 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.7% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

38.1% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

9,570,300 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

2,201,169 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

23% (2014 est.)