ARCHIVE // VN // 2014
Vietnam
2014 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadcast media
[time series]
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 9 channels with several 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 6 channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2008)
Internet country code
[time series]
.vn
Internet users
(Internet hosts)
[time series]
189,553 (2012) country comparison to the world: 74
Internet users
[time series]
23.382 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 17
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system 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 international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, completed in 2009, provided new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2011)
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
10.191 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 21
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
134.066 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 8
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $42.82 billion expenditures: $50 billion (2013 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-4.2% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Central bank discount rate
[time series]
9% (31 December 2012) country comparison to the world: 11 15% (31 December 2011)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
[time series]
10.5% (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 13.47% (31 December 2012 est.)
Current account balance
[time series]
$8.162 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $9.062 billion (2012 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$68.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $63.95 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
(Distribution of family income - Gini index)
[time series]
37.6 (2008) country comparison to the world: 78 36.1 (1998)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy since 1986. Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic modernization in recent years. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007, which has promoted more competitive, export-driven industries. Vietnam became an official negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement in 2010. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink from about 25% in 2000 to less than 20% in 2013, while industry's share increased from 36% to more than 42% in the same period. State-owned enterprises account for about 40% of GDP. Poverty has declined significantly, and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. The global recession hurt Vietnam's export-oriented economy, with GDP in 2013 growing at 5%, the slowest rate of growth since 1999. In 2013, however, exports increased by more than 12%, year-on-year; several administrative actions brought the trade deficit back into balance. Between 2008 and 2011, Vietnam's managed currency, the dong, was devalued in excess of 20%, but its value remained relatively stable in 2013. Hanoi has oscillated between promoting growth and emphasizing macroeconomic stability in recent years. In February 2011, the government shifted from policies aimed at achieving a high rate of economic growth, which had stoked inflation, to those aimed at stabilizing the economy, through tighter monetary and fiscal control. Although Vietnam unveiled a broad, "three pillar" economic reform program in early 2012, proposing the restructuring of public investment, state-owned enterprises, and the banking sector, little perceptible progress has been made. Vietnam's economy continues to face challenges from an undercapitalized banking sector. Non-performing loans weigh heavily on banks and businesses.
Exchange rates
[time series]
dong (VND) per US dollar - 21,118 (2013 est.) 20,859 (2012 est.) 18,612.92 (2010 est.) 17,799.6 (2009) 16,548.3 (2008)
Exports
[time series]
$128.9 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $114.6 billion (2012 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
clothes, shoes, electronics, seafood, crude oil, rice, coffee, wooden products, machinery
Exports - partners
[time series]
US 17.8%, Japan 11.8%, China 11.2%, South Korea 5%, Malaysia 4.1% (2012)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$170 billion (2013 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP (purchasing power parity))
[time series]
$358.9 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $340.8 billion (2012 est.) $323.8 billion (2011 est.) note: data are in 2013 US dollars
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 68.9% government consumption: 6.8% investment in fixed capital: 30.4% investment in inventories: 3.1% exports of goods and services: 84.7% imports of goods and services: -93.9% (2013 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 19.3% industry: 38.5% services: 42.2% (2013 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita (PPP))
[time series]
$4,000 (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 $3,800 (2012 est.) $3,700 (2011 est.) note: data are in 2013 US dollars
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
5.3% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 5.2% (2012 est.) 6.2% (2011 est.)
Gross national saving
[time series]
38.4% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 39% of GDP (2012 est.) 32.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.2% (2008)
Imports
[time series]
$121.4 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $104.7 billion (2012 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 25.8%, South Korea 13.9%, Japan 10.4%, Singapore 6%, Thailand 5.2%, US 4.3% (2012)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
5% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Industries
[time series]
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
6.8% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 187 9.1% (2012 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
52.93 million (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 48% industry: 21% services: 31% (2012)
Market value of publicly traded shares
[time series]
$38.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $26 billion (31 December 2011) $37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
11.3% (2012 est.)
Public debt
[time series]
48.2% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 48.1% of GDP (2012 est.) note: official data; data cover general government debt, and includes 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 intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental 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
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$32.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $26.11 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of broad money
[time series]
$184.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $165.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
[time series]
$NA (31 December 2009 est.) $5.3 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
[time series]
$84.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $73.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
[time series]
$173.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $163.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of narrow money
[time series]
$43.99 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 $40.34 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
25.2% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Unemployment rate
[time series]
1.3% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 3.2% (2012 est.)
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
(Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy)
[time series]
112.7 million Mt (2011 est.)
Crude oil - exports
[time series]
188,000 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Crude oil - imports
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Crude oil - production
[time series]
363,500 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Crude oil - proved reserves
[time series]
4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
104 billion kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Electricity - exports
[time series]
964 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Electricity - from fossil fuels
[time series]
55% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
[time series]
45% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
[time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Electricity - from other renewable sources
[time series]
0.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Electricity - imports
[time series]
2.7 billion kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Electricity - installed generating capacity
[time series]
26.3 million kW (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Electricity - production
[time series]
117 billion kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Natural gas - consumption
[time series]
10.2 billion cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - exports
[time series]
0 cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Natural gas - imports
[time series]
890 million cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - production
[time series]
9.3 billion cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Natural gas - proved reserves
[time series]
699.4 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Refined petroleum products - consumption
[time series]
259,900 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
37,050 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
184,900 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
112,000 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 331,210 sq km country comparison to the world: 66 land: 310,070 sq km water: 21,140 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly larger than New Mexico
Climate
[time series]
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
Coastline
[time series]
3,444 km (excludes islands)
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
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; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Total water withdrawal
(Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural))
[time series]
total: 82.03 cu km/yr (1%/4%/95%) per capita: 965 cu m/yr (2005)
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
16 10 N, 107 50 E
Geography - note
[time series]
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
Irrigated land
[time series]
45,850 sq km (2005)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 19.64% permanent crops: 11.18% other: 69.18% (2011)
Location
[time series]
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia
Map references
[time series]
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Natural hazards
[time series]
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Natural resources
[time series]
phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower
Terrain
[time series]
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
884.1 cu km (2011)
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Capital
[time series]
name: Hanoi (Ha Noi) geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Constitution
[time series]
several previous; latest adopted 15 April 1992, effective 1 January 1995; amended 2001, 2013 (2014)
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam conventional short form: Vietnam local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam local short form: Viet Nam abbreviation: SRV
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador David B. SHEAR (since 4 August 2011) embassy: Rose Garden Building, 170 Ngoc Khanh St., Hanoi mailing address: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi; 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550 telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000 FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Quoc CUONG (since 2 May 2011) chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco consulate: New York
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Truong Tan SANG (since 25 July 2011); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (since 25 July 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc DAM (since 13 November 2013), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh MINH (since 13 November 2013), Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van NINH (since 3 August 2011), and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 3 August 2011) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last election held 25 July 2011 (next to be held in July 2016); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly election results: Truong Tan SANG elected president, percent of National Assembly vote - 97%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister, percent of National Assembly vote - 94%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
[time series]
Communist state
Independence
[time series]
2 September 1945 (from France)
International law organization participation
[time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
[time series]
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
[time series]
highest court(s): 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 on the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; other judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and labor courts; Central Military Court; People's Special Courts; note - the National Assembly can establish special tribunals
Legal system
[time series]
civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law
Legislative branch
[time series]
unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 458, non-party CPV-approved 38, self-nominated 4; note - 500 candidates were elected; the 496 CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front and were vetted prior to the election
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Tien quan ca" (The Song of the Marching Troops)
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
yellow, five-pointed star on red field; lotus blossom
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG] note: other parties proscribed
Political parties
(Political pressure groups and leaders)
[time series]
8406 Bloc Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN Alliance for Democracy note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam 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 conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. 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. The communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.
Military
Manpower available for military service
[time series]
males age 16-49: 25,649,738 females age 16-49: 24,995,692 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
[time series]
males age 16-49: 20,405,847 females age 16-49: 21,098,102 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
[time series]
male: 847,743 female: 787,341 (2010 est.)
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; includes Vietnam People's Navy (with Naval Infantry), Vietnam People's Air and Air Defense Force, Border Defense Command, Coast Guard) (2013)
Military expenditures
[time series]
2.37% of GDP (2012) country comparison to the world: 33 2.17% of GDP (2011) 2.37% of GDP (2010)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18-25 years of age for male compulsory and voluntary military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 18 months (Army, Air Defense), 2 years (Navy and Air Force); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Force service; males may enroll in military schools at age 17 (2013)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 24.3% (male 11,946,656/female 10,800,602) 15-24 years: 17.8% (male 8,598,360/female 8,023,377) 25-54 years: 44.8% (male 20,983,638/female 20,861,243) 55-64 years: 7.4% (male 3,149,494/female 3,763,309) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 2,034,721/female 3,260,435) (2014 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
16.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Child labor - children ages 5-14
[time series]
total number: 2,545,616 percentage: 16 % (2006 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
12% (2011) country comparison to the world: 60
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
77.8% (2010/11)
Death rate
[time series]
5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 41.3 % youth dependency ratio: 31.9 % elderly dependency ratio: 9.4 % potential support ratio: 10.6 (2014 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 98.2% of population rural: 93.6% of population total: 95% of population unimproved: urban: 1.8% of population rural: 6.4% of population total: 5% of population (2012 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
6.3% of GDP (2010) country comparison to the world: 33
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, others 5.3% (1999 census)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
0.4% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
11,700 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
259,200 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Health expenditure
(Health expenditures)
[time series]
6.8% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 86
Hospital bed density
[time series]
2.2 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 18.99 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 95 male: 19.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
Languages
[time series]
Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 72.91 years country comparison to the world: 129 male: 70.44 years female: 75.65 years (2014 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.4% male: 95.4% female: 91.4% (2011 est.)
Major infectious diseases
[time series]
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
Ho Chi Minh City 6.405 million; HANOI (capital) 2.955 million; Haiphong 925,000; Da Nang 834,000 (2011)
Maternal mortality ratio
(Maternal mortality rate)
[time series]
59 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 101
Median age
[time series]
total: 29.2 years male: 28.1 years female: 30.2 years (2014 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
22.6 note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2002 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese
Net migration rate
[time series]
-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
1.7% (2008) country comparison to the world: 186
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
Population
[time series]
93,421,835 (July 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Population growth rate
[time series]
1% (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Religions
[time series]
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 93.1% of population rural: 66.6% of population total: 75% of population unimproved: urban: 6.9% of population rural: 33.4% of population total: 25% of population (2012 est.)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.85 children born/woman (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
(Unemployment, youth ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 5.5% country comparison to the world: 135 male: 4.6% female: 6.5% (2012)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 31% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 3.03% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; 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" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; 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
Illicit drugs
[time series]
minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
stateless persons: 11,500 (2012); 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
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
45 (2013) country comparison to the world: 96
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 38 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2013)
Heliports
[time series]
1 (2013)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 579 country comparison to the world: 20 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 142, cargo 335, chemical tanker 23, container 19, liquefied gas 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 registered in other countries: 86 (Cambodia 1, Kiribati 2, Mongolia 33, Panama 43, Taiwan 1, Tuvalu 6) (2010)
Pipelines
[time series]
condensate 72 km; condensate/gas 398 km; gas 955 km; oil 128 km; oil/gas/water 33 km; refined products 206 km; water 13 km (2013)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
major seaport(s): Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Haiphong, Phu My, Quy Nhon river port(s): Ho Chi Minh (Mekong) container port(s) (TEUs): Haiphong (1,018,794), Saigon New Port (3,071,777)
Railways
[time series]
total: 2,632 km country comparison to the world: 63 standard gauge: 527 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,105 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways
[time series]
total: 206,633 km country comparison to the world: 24 paved: 148,338 km unpaved: 47,130 km (2013)
Transportation - note
[time series]
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; crews have been murdered or cast adrift
Waterways
[time series]
47,130 km (30,831 km weight under 50 tons) (2011) country comparison to the world: 4