Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Vietnam instead of Belize, you would:

Health

be 66.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Belize, 1.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 1.0 years longer

In Belize, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 94.5% less likely to be obese

In Belize, 43.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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see 20.3% more spent on your healthcare

Belize spends $573 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

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be 74.6% more likely to die by suicide

Belize has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vietnam, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 82.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Belize, 8.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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make 35.6% less money

Belize has a GDP per capita of $7,865 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

be 28.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Belize, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Vietnam, 48.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 11.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Belize, approximately 10.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Vietnam, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 25.7% fewer children

In Belize, there are approximately 18.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vietnam, there are 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 37.4% less on education

Belize spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 8.9 times more coastline

Belize has a total of 386 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.4 times more home broadband

Belize has 9.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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live with 14.4 times more strain on fresh water

Belize withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 2.5 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Belize, air pollution causes 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vietnam, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

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emit 4.6 times more CO2

Belize emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Compare further: Belize vs. Vietnam

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Vietnam is 39.8% cheaper than Belize overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Belize is about 14 times smaller than Vietnam.
→
Moving from Belize to Vietnam · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Vietnam: At a glance

Vietnam (sometimes abbreviated SRV) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 310,070 sq km. 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.
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How big is Vietnam compared to Belize? See an in-depth size comparison.

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