Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 98.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 23.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2018. In Vietnam, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2018.

live 21.4 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 53 years (53 years for men, 53 years for women) as of 2020. In Vietnam, that number is 74 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2020.

be 87.3% less likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 16.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vietnam, that number is 2.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.1 times more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $3,300 as of 2017, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $6,900 as of 2017.

be 92.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 28.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In Vietnam, that number is 2.2% as of 2017.

be 86.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Lesotho, 57.0% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Vietnam, however, that number is 8.0% as of 2017.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Lesotho has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Vietnam, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 92.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 544.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Vietnam, 43.0 women do as of 2017.

be 19.6% more likely to be literate

In Lesotho, the literacy rate is 79.4% as of 2015. In Vietnam, it is 95.0% as of 2018.

be 62.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Lesotho, approximately 41.5 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Vietnam, on the other hand, 15.7 children do as of 2020.

have 37.5% fewer children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Vietnam, there are 14.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 3.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Lesotho, approximately 30% of people have electricity access (66% in urban areas, and 16% in rural areas) as of 2017. In Vietnam, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2017.

be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 29.0% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In Vietnam, about 70.3% do as of 2018.

be 21.1% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Lesotho, approximately 78% of people have improved drinking water access (93% in urban areas, and 72% in rural areas) as of 2017. In Vietnam, that number is 95% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 10.9% less on education

Lesotho spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Vietnam spends 5.7% of total GDP on education as of 2013.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance.

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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