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

Health

be 91.7% less likely to be obese

In Ecuador, 28.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 2.8 years less

In Ecuador, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 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 44.3% less spent on your healthcare

Ecuador spends $1,238 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

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have 52.1% fewer doctors per person

Ecuador has 23.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.

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have 11.7% less access to essential health services

Ecuador scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 54.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Ecuador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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be 80.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Ecuador, 21.4% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Vietnam, however, that number is 4.2% as of 2022.

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make 28.9% less money

Ecuador has a GDP per capita of $7,125 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

be 10.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Ecuador, approximately 10.9 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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Expenditures

spend 21.7% less on education

Ecuador spends 3.7% 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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spend 39.7% less on healthcare

Ecuador spends 7.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Vietnam, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 54.0% more coastline

Ecuador has a total of 2,237 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Safety

be 24.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Ecuador, road accidents kill 23.4 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 37.4% more home broadband

Ecuador has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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use 54.3% more electricity

Ecuador uses 1,676 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 2.7 times more strain on fresh water

Ecuador withdraws 7% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 2.3 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Ecuador, air pollution causes 23.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vietnam, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

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emit 61.7% more CO2

Ecuador emits 2.6 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 (2020–2025), 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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