In 2020, the share of children in Vietnam amounted to approximately 23.2 percent of the population. This figure is comparable to the share of children in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The age dependency ratio in Vietnam was 43 percent.

Age structure in Vietnam

As of 2018, about 69.55 percent of the population was between 15 and 64 years old, followed by 7.27 percent of people aged 65 years and older. In 2019, there were about 68.08 million adults. According to the Central Population and Housing Census, every two persons in the working age group is dependent. This shows an increase of 13.3 percentage points since 2009, more than double the percentage of 1999.

Demographical change in Vietnam

Vietnam has a history of high fertility. Therefore, the age and gender distribution followed the usual pattern where the widest bars can be found at the bottom of the pyramid. However, the country’s number of births decreased in the last few decades, which is why the youngest bars are smaller than the ones above in the demographic pyramid, indicating a slower future population growth. As of 2018, the population density in Vietnam was at 308.13 people per square meter.

In 2023, the population density of Vietnam was around 303 people per square kilometer of land area. In that year, Vietnam's total population reached approximately 100.3 million. The country is among those with the highest population density in the Asia Pacific region, ranking 11th in 2020. Population density in Vietnam In comparison, Vietnam’s population density is roughly twice as much as China and Indonesia. The average population density in the world is at 59 inhabitants per square kilometer. The largest population within the country can be found in the Red River Delta and the Mekong River Delta. The most populated city is Ho Chi Minh City with roughly nine million inhabitants. Population growth in Vietnam Vietnam’s total population was forecast to surpass 100 million by 2050. Traditionally, Vietnamese families had an average of six children, while today, the birth rate is at two children per woman. This is due to an improving economy and higher living standards. In 2020, the population growth in Vietnam reached 0.90 percent, down from about three percent in the 1960s.

In 2022, the urban population in Vietnam stood at approximately 37.4 million people. The six largest urban agglomerations include Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Bien Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho. On the other hand, Ben Tre, Thai Binh, and Bac Giang had the lowest rates of urbanization in the country.

Urbanization in Vietnam

The rapid urbanization in Vietnam results in a disproportionate population density between its urban and rural areas. For instance, in 2022, Ho Chi Minh City recorded a population density of 4,481 inhabitants per square kilometer, nearly 15 times the country's average population density in the same year. The urban population is consistently increasing due to the country’s economic reforms and infrastructure development, as well as higher living standards. For example, the monthly income per capita in urban areas is nearly half as much as that in rural areas. Nevertheless, the poverty rate in Vietnam has been consistently diminishing each year, roughly at 4.2 percent as of 2022.

Urban infrastructure in Vietnam

Vietnam has made significant progress in developing its urban infrastructure, especially in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The expansion of highways, seaports, and airports has enhanced domestic and international connectivity, as well as greatly contributed to the country’s logistic industry. For instance, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are developing a metro system which is expected to be put into operation in 2024. The country has also invested in modern healthcare facilities, schools, and commercial centers. However, challenges such as traffic jams, limited public transportation services, and environmental pollution still require significant efforts to meet the growing demands of the Vietnamese urban population.

In 2023, the population of Vietnam reached approximately 100.3 million, indicating an increase by nearly a million people from the previous year. Vietnam is among the most populated countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2022, around 8.5 percent of the population in Vietnam was at least 65 years old, indicating an increase from the previous year. In the same year, the share of Vietnamese citizens aged between 15 and 64 years was approximately 67.4 percent.

In 2023, the population density in Ho Chi Minh City reached 4,513 inhabitants per square kilometer, making the largest city of Vietnam also the most crowded. Ha Noi, the capital, was much less crowded, with 2,556 people per square kilometer. In both Da Nang and Can Tho, this figure stayed around 900 inhabitants per square kilometer.

In 2022, the share of the population aged between 15 and 64 years in Vietnam was approximately 67.4 percent. The large share of the population aged between 15 and 64 years indicates a period of population bonus, wherein the working population in the country was comparatively high.

In 2023, the share of the population aged under 15 years in Vietnam was approximately 23.9 percent. The share of the young population aged between 0 and 14 years has been decreasing since 2019 while there were more people aged 65 years and above across the country.

In 2023, the population living in urban areas in Vietnam accounted for 38.1 percent of the total population. Since the past years, the share of the urban population in the country has been growing steadily year on year.

In 2023, the crude death rate in Vietnam was estimated at 5.5 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. In that year, Vietnam's population reached approximately 100.3 million.

In 2022, the working-age population in Vietnam amounted to approximately 75.9 million people. In that year, the population of Vietnam exceeded 100.3 million inhabitants.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in rural areas of Vietnam reached 12.8 deaths per one thousand live births, which was almost double that of urban areas. The country's average mortality rate was approximately 11.6 deaths per one thousand live births.

In 2023, the under-five child mortality rate in Vietnam was approximately 18.2 deaths per one thousand live births. The under-five child mortality rate in the country has been decreasing steadily within the observed timeline, except for 2020.

In 2023, the life expectancy at birth of Vietnamese men was estimated at 71.1 years. Meanwhile, Vietnamese women tend to live longer, around 76.5 years on average. In that year, the general life expectancy of the Vietnamese population was around 73.3 years.

In 2023, the singulate mean age at marriage (SMAM) was at 27.2 years in Vietnam. In the same year, the SMAM of Vietnamese males stood at 29.3 years, while that of females was 25.1 years. Overall, people tend to get married slightly later over the years in the country.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in Vietnam was around 1.96 children per woman. The country's fertility rate has witnessed continuous decline since 2020.

In 2023, the sex ratio at birth in Vietnam was at approximately 112 male births per 100 female birth. In the same year, the total fertility rate reached 1.96 children per woman in the country.

In 2023, the poverty rate in Vietnam was around 1.2 percent in urban areas, while that of rural areas was around 4.8 percent. In that year, the poverty rate in the country was 3.4 percent.

In 2023, around 642,391 deaths were registered in Vietnam. The number of deaths in the country increased significantly in 2021 and 2022, mainly due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, Ho Chi Minh City was the largest municipality in Vietnam, with a population of over 9.5 million people. Home to over eight million people, Ha Noi ranking second, followed by Hai Phong. There are five municipalities in Vietnam, which are also the leading urban cities in the country.