GeoRealityMatch
Peaceful view of Hoan Kiem Lake with Turtle Tower in Hanoi, Vietnam with city skyline.Scenic view of Baoviet building across a lake, framed by trees and urban backdrop.

Vietnam

Asia · South-Eastern Asia

High safetyVery affordable cost of livingHigh development

Incomes are low.

BackpackerCombines very affordable cost of living and high safety.
vs Thailandvs Philippinesvs Indonesia
Safety

41st most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.738lower is more peacefulHigh safety
#41 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Safety index
59.9Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferModerateNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$4,970national income per person, US dollarsLow
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
9.9New York = 100AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
30.2years of median income to buy a median flatVery expensiveNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 527% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 153% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$10K$20K$18,088 PPP$5,066Inflation, % a year25%0200620102015202020252006, $808 a person, $4,237 at PPP, inflation 7.4%2007, $926 a person, $4,581 at PPP, inflation 8.3%2008, $1,164 a person, $4,844 at PPP, inflation 23.1%2009, $1,226 a person, $5,061 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2010, $1,683 a person, $5,389 at PPP, inflation 9.2%2011, $1,951 a person, $5,786 at PPP, inflation 18.7%2012, $2,185 a person, $6,377 at PPP, inflation 9.1%2013, $2,360 a person, $6,758 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2014, $2,546 a person, $7,297 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2015, $2,578 a person, $7,672 at PPP, inflation 0.6%2016, $2,735 a person, $8,375 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2017, $2,956 a person, $9,170 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2018, $3,222 a person, $10,010 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2019, $3,441 a person, $11,029 at PPP, inflation 2.8%2020, $3,534 a person, $11,609 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2021, $3,704 a person, $12,049 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2022, $4,148 a person, $13,903 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2023, $4,323 a person, $15,034 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2024, $4,717 a person, $16,388 at PPP, inflation 3.6%2025, $5,066 a person, $18,088 at PPP, inflation 3.3%$0$10K$20KInflation, % a year25%0200620102015202020252006, $808 a person, $4,237 at PPP, inflation 7.4%2007, $926 a person, $4,581 at PPP, inflation 8.3%2008, $1,164 a person, $4,844 at PPP, inflation 23.1%2009, $1,226 a person, $5,061 at PPP, inflation 6.7%2010, $1,683 a person, $5,389 at PPP, inflation 9.2%2011, $1,951 a person, $5,786 at PPP, inflation 18.7%2012, $2,185 a person, $6,377 at PPP, inflation 9.1%2013, $2,360 a person, $6,758 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2014, $2,546 a person, $7,297 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2015, $2,578 a person, $7,672 at PPP, inflation 0.6%2016, $2,735 a person, $8,375 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2017, $2,956 a person, $9,170 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2018, $3,222 a person, $10,010 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2019, $3,441 a person, $11,029 at PPP, inflation 2.8%2020, $3,534 a person, $11,609 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2021, $3,704 a person, $12,049 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2022, $4,148 a person, $13,903 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2023, $4,323 a person, $15,034 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2024, $4,717 a person, $16,388 at PPP, inflation 3.6%2025, $5,066 a person, $18,088 at PPP, inflation 3.3%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Around the middle for life expectancy

Life expectancy
74.7years, at birthModerate
#92 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
71WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100ModerateWHO · 2023
Air pollution
22.8PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageHighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very fast home internet

Unemployment rate
1.5%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
289 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
500EF English Proficiency Index scoreModerateEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet289 MbpsVery fast
Mobile188 MbpsVery fast

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Scenic view of Baoviet building across a lake, framed by trees and urban backdrop.
How it changed

Vietnam's Human Development Index

0.766High human development

93rd of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 22nd of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #92Tonga0.769
  2. #93Maldives0.766
  3. #93Vietnam0.766
  4. #95Turkmenistan0.764
  5. #96Algeria0.763
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.499 in 1990 to 0.766 in 2023.

0.450.630.800.76619902000201020231990: 0.4991991: 0.5091992: 0.5211993: 0.5311994: 0.5431995: 0.5561996: 0.5671997: 0.5781998: 0.5881999: 0.5962000: 0.6042001: 0.6122002: 0.6212003: 0.6302004: 0.6382005: 0.6472006: 0.6562007: 0.6642008: 0.6722009: 0.6792010: 0.6862011: 0.6932012: 0.6982013: 0.7042014: 0.7112015: 0.7172016: 0.7232017: 0.7292018: 0.7372019: 0.7442020: 0.7552021: 0.7542022: 0.7642023: 0.7660.450.630.8019902000201020231990: 0.4991991: 0.5091992: 0.5211993: 0.5311994: 0.5431995: 0.5561996: 0.5671997: 0.5781998: 0.5881999: 0.5962000: 0.6042001: 0.6122002: 0.6212003: 0.6302004: 0.6382005: 0.6472006: 0.6562007: 0.6642008: 0.6722009: 0.6792010: 0.6862011: 0.6932012: 0.6982013: 0.7042014: 0.7112015: 0.7172016: 0.7232017: 0.7292018: 0.7372019: 0.7442020: 0.7552021: 0.7542022: 0.7642023: 0.766

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
74.7 years2024at birthUp 1.5 years from 73.2 years in 2005
Internet users
84%2024of people onlineUp 67 points from 17% in 2006
Urban population
39%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 11 points from 28% in 2006
Births per woman
1.902024births per womanUp 0.01 from 1.89 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
24%2021of energy usedDown 22 points from 46% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityUp 4 points from 96% in 2005
Infant mortality
122024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 7 from 19 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
4.3 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 3 t from 1.2 t in 2005
Forest area
47%2023of land under forestUp 7 points from 40% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Booming economy and ultra cheap, with complex visa rules for long-term stays. The case against is low incomes and polluted air.

About Vietnam

Vietnam is a long, narrow Southeast Asian country of great geographic variety, from the terraced rice fields of Sapa in the north, through the ancient royal city of Hué and the lantern-lit old town of Hội An, to the Mekong Delta in the south. The culture carries a Confucian sensibility of family, hard work, and education, alongside a food tradition that is widely considered one of the finest in Asia. The pace of development is rapid, but the country's beauty and the tenacity of its culture make it consistently compelling.

Practical facts

  • CapitalHanoi
  • LanguagesVietnamese
  • CurrencyVietnamese đồng (VND)
  • Area313,429 km²
  • Plug typeType A/B/C
  • Drives on theright
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Compare Vietnam

Borders

CambodiaChinaLaos

Side by side

vs Thailandvs Philippinesvs Indonesiavs Cambodiavs Indiavs Chinavs South Koreavs JapanCompare any two countries

Quick answers

What is Vietnam's Human Development Index?

Vietnam's Human Development Index is 0.766 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #93 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Vietnam safe?

Vietnam scores 1.74 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #41 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Vietnam?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Vietnam at 26.4 (New York = 100); that is #13 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Vietnam?

Life expectancy at birth in Vietnam is 74.7 yrs (World Bank), ranked #92 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in Vietnam?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Vietnam at 92.5, ranked #78 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.