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

Health

be 90.8% less likely to be obese

In Canada, 26.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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be 22.7% less likely to die by suicide

Canada has a suicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vietnam, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 7.4 years less

In Canada, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 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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see 91.0% less spent on your healthcare

Canada spends $7,646 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

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have 60.7% fewer doctors per person

Canada has 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.

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have 25.3% less access to essential health services

Canada scores 91 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 78.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Canada, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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make 90.9% less money

Canada has a GDP per capita of $55,698 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

have 50.8% more children

In Canada, there are approximately 8.9 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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be 4.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Canada, approximately 12.0 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 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Canada, approximately 4.7 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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Basic Needs

be 10.8% less likely to have internet access

In Canada, approximately 94.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vietnam, about 84.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 40.3% less on education

Canada spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 59.7% less on healthcare

Canada spends 11.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 98.3% less coastline

Canada has a total of 202,080 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Safety

be 3.8 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Canada, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vietnam, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 44.2% less home broadband

Canada has 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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live with 4.9 times more strain on fresh water

Canada withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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use 81.7% less electricity

Canada uses 14,093 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 69.5% less CO2

Canada emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 6.5 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Canada, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vietnam, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

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