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

Health

live 10.9 years longer

In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 53.7% less likely to be obese

In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 6.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 14.2 times more doctors per person

Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

have 65.9% more access to essential health services

Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 91.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Vietnam, however, that number is 4.2% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

make 21.7 times more money

Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 65.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 87.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Vietnam, 48.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 28.7% more likely to be literate

In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Vietnam, it is 96.1% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

be 60.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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.

View global rankings →

have 59.6% fewer children

In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vietnam, there are 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 8.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Vietnam, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 9.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vietnam, about 84.2% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 49.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 99% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 35.8% less on education

Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

spend 49.8% less on healthcare

Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Vietnam, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 43.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vietnam, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 1185.5 times more home broadband

Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 77.9% more strain on fresh water

Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 26.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vietnam, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 61.0 times more CO2

Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

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.
Read more

How big is Vietnam compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Vietnam or Burundi. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.