Vietnam
Asia · South-Eastern Asia
Booming economy and ultra cheap, with complex visa rules for long-term stays.
Backpacker
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Vietnam's Human Development Index
0.726
High human development#106 of 191 countries worldwide, #26 of 43 in Asia.
Higher than 45% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
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.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →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.
- World's second-largest coffee exporter after Brazil.
- Communist government, capitalist economy — growing faster than most of Southeast Asia.
- More motorbikes than cars — Hanoi has roughly one bike per person.
Quick Facts
Capital
Hanoi
Language
Vietnamese
Currency
₫ VND
Area
313,429 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
289Mbps
Mobile
188Mbps
GDP / Capita
$5K
PPP / Capita
$18K
Inflation
3.3%
Unemployment
1.5%
Innovation (GII)
37.1
GNI / Capita
$5K
FDI Inflows
4.2%
Education Spend
2.9%
Cost of Living
26.4
Price Level Index
90th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.492 → 0.726 (+0.234)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
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💬Quick answers
What is Vietnam's Human Development Index?
Vietnam's Human Development Index is 0.726 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #106 of 191 countries.
Is Vietnam safe?
Vietnam scores 1.74 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #41 of 160 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.