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 2022, the labor force participation rate was highest among Vietnamese aged 35 to 39, at about 92.2 percent. Meanwhile, people between the ages of 15 and 19 registered the lowest proportion, with 20.2 percent. Overall, the labor participation rate was 68.6 percent in Vietnam in that year.

Vietnam VN: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data was reported at 10.245 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.892 % for 2016. Vietnam VN: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data is updated yearly, averaging 9.933 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.596 % in 1970 and a record low of 8.563 % in 1960. Vietnam VN: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Old data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Labor force with advanced education (% of total working-age population with advanced education) in Vietnam was reported at 87.26 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Vietnam - Labor force with advanced education (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Advanced Education: % of Total Working-age Population data was reported at 87.779 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 87.386 % for 2016. Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Advanced Education: % of Total Working-age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 87.528 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 87.957 % in 2012 and a record low of 86.359 % in 2011. Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Advanced Education: % of Total Working-age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.World Bank.WDI: Labour Force. The percentage of the working age population with an advanced level of education who are in the labor force. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

The statistic shows the number of employed people in Vietnam in 2017, broken down by age and gender. In that year, the there were approximately 3.4 million male and 3.3 million female employees aged between 25 and 29.

The median age in Vietnam was 31 years in 2020, meaning that half the population was younger than this at the time, and half older. This figure has increased since its low point in 1970, which was likely due to the Vietnam War. The median age is expected to increase to 49.3 years by 2100. Age structure The age structure in Vietnam changes slowly as people get older. This suggests that other demographic indicators are also slow to evolve, which in turn points to stability. This fact is convenient for policy makers, who can then rely on a consistent ratio of pensioners and students to workers. This is helpful in taxation and allocation of government spending. However, it also points to slow inprovement in indicators such as life expectancy. Economic implications Given Vietnam’s Communist government, it is not surprising that a large portion of its gross domestic product (GDP) comes from government expenditures. As such, the country needs a broad tax base. Since people’s earning potential rises with age until they retire, a relatively high median age is necessary to bear this tax burden. A low unemployment rate further bolsters this effect. This implies that the current demographic situation in Vietnam is sustainable.

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 2022, the labor force participation rate peaked among Vietnamese aged 35 to 39, reaching 15.5 percent in urban areas and 13.6 percent in rural areas. Meanwhile, people between the ages of 15 and 19 registered the lowest proportion in the population, with two percent in urban areas and 3.4 percent in rural areas. Overall, the labor participation rate was 68.6 percent in Vietnam in that year.

Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Basic Education: Female: % of Female Working-age Population data was reported at 81.905 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 82.852 % for 2016. Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Basic Education: Female: % of Female Working-age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 82.656 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.753 % in 2015 and a record low of 81.339 % in 2012. Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Basic Education: Female: % of Female Working-age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.World Bank.WDI: Labour Force. The percentage of the working age population with a basic level of education who are in the labor force. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average;

This statistic shows the age structure in Vietnam from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 23.61 percent of Vietnam's total population were aged 0 to 14 years.

Vietnam Labour Force: Age Group 50 and Over data was reported at 14,643.500 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 14,516.400 Person th for 2016. Vietnam Labour Force: Age Group 50 and Over data is updated yearly, averaging 9,677.050 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,643.500 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 4,641.400 Person th in 2001. Vietnam Labour Force: Age Group 50 and Over data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Statistics Office. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.G017: Labour Force and Employment.

Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Intermediate Education: % of Total Working-age Population data was reported at 70.410 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 69.930 % for 2015. Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Intermediate Education: % of Total Working-age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 69.590 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2016, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70.410 % in 2016 and a record low of 66.720 % in 2011. Vietnam VN: Labour Force With Intermediate Education: % of Total Working-age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.World Bank: Labour Force. The percentage of the working age population with an intermediate level of education who are in the labor force. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average;

Vietnam Labour Force: Age Group 25-49 data was reported at 32,599.200 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 32,418.300 Person th for 2016. Vietnam Labour Force: Age Group 25-49 data is updated yearly, averaging 30,129.250 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32,599.200 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 25,474.100 Person th in 2000. Vietnam Labour Force: Age Group 25-49 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by General Statistics Office. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.G017: Labour Force and Employment.

Labor force with basic education, female (% of female working-age population with basic education) in Vietnam was reported at 67.87 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Vietnam - Labor force with basic education, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Abstract

On 17 December 2015, the General Director of General Statistic Office issued Decision No 1160/QD-TCTK on the 2016 Labour Force survey, along with its survey plan. The purpose of the survey was to collect the information on 2016 labor market participation from those people who are 15 years old and above currently residing in Vietnam; regarded as a basic for aggregating and compiling national statistical indicators on labor, employment, unemployment and income. These results would support for ministries and branches assessing and comparing the changes in labour market among quarters within the reference year as well as with those of previous annual labour force surveys conducted by GSO. These results would be also considered as a basic to develop and plan policies on human resource development; activities of investment, production and business accordant with the development trend on labor market; as well as to access and apply International Labor Organization’s updated recommendations on labor and employment, especially in term of “labor under-utilization” into the reality of Vietnam. The statistics would be aggregated quarterly for the national and regional levels; and yearly for the provincial level.

Geographic coverage

Whole country.

Analysis unit

• Households
• Individuals ages 15 and above

Universe

Population ages 15 and over (working age population).

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sampling frame The sample of 2016 Labor Force Survey is the 2 stage stratified sample in order to ensure the presentative of quarterly aggregated statistics for the whole country, urban/rural, 6 social economic regions, Hanoi and Hochiminh cities as well as annually aggregated ones for 63 provinces/cities. Each province/city would constitute a main stratum with two sub-stratums namely urban and rural ones. The sampling frame is based on the 2015 Inter-censal Population and Housing Survey's selected enumeration areas.

Sample size The 2016 Labor Force Survey was conducted with the sample size of 50.640 households/quarter, (that is, equivalent to 16.880 households/month). The sample size was designed and allocated to ensure the statistical significance/ preventative of quarterly aggregated statistics at regional level and annually aggregated ones at provincial level.

Sampling deviation

The sample of this survey is stratified into 2 stages and designed as follows:

• Stage 1 (selecting EAs): Each province/city will constitute a main stratum divided into 2 sub stratums (of which, one will be representative for urban areas and the other is for rural areas). At this stage, list of provincial enumeration areas (the master sample frame – taken from the 1/4/2014 Inter-censal Population and Housing Survey’s 20% sample) will be divided into 2 independent sub-sample frames (urban and rural), and EAs will be selected by the method of probability proportional to size - PPS.

• Stage 2 (selecting households): At each selected EA (that is determined in stage 1), after updating the EA and making the list of households, the updated list of households will be divided into 2 groups (defined as the upper/first and the lower/ second half of the list of households). Then, at each half, 15 households will be selected systematically.

In order to improve the design efficiency and ensure to the reliability of survey sample, the sample will be selected alternately (under the 2-2-2 rotation). By this way, each EA will be divided into 02 rotational groups, whose households will be selected into sample in two adjacent quarters, and then excluded in 2 succeeding adjacent quarters, finally selected again into the sample in 2 following adjacent quarters. Each EA will be selected into the sample 4 times during a year at most.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Single questionnaire covering: - Household characteristcs - Individual characterists for those ages 15 and over as well as information on economic activity or inactivity

Response rate

Residence/Socio-economic region Total Male Female Labor force participation rate Entire country 100.0 100.0 100.0 77.5 Urban 31.9 32.0 31.9 71.0 Rural 68.1 68.0 68.1 81.0

In 2022, more than 283,000 Vietnamese aged between 20 and 24 years were unemployed. Meanwhile, the proportion of unemployed people in age group between 45 and 49 years was the lowest in the population, with 65,800 people. Overall, the number of unemployed people in Vietnam was nearly 1.1 million that year.

The data set provides readers with data on the first half of the workforce for the years 2011 to 2020, per capita income for the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, and the unemployment rate in the working age. activities in the first half of the year from 2011 to 2020.

In 2023, there were approximately 51.3 million employed people in Vietnam, indicating a slight increase compared to the previous year. In that year, the labor force participation rate in the country reached 68.9 percent.

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.