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

Health

be 97.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 17.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 16.9 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 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 89.2% less likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 78.8% more spent on your healthcare

Lesotho spends $386 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 4.7 times more doctors per person

Lesotho has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

have 28.3% more access to essential health services

Lesotho scores 53 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 74.5% less likely to die by suicide

Lesotho has a suicide rate of 28.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vietnam, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 90.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 4.7 times more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $1,089 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 90.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 478.0 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 78.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Lesotho, approximately 56.3 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 43.5% fewer children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.8 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 74.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Lesotho, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 45% 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 62.5% more likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 51.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vietnam, about 84.2% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 26.5% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Lesotho, approximately 78% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 71% 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 56.3% less on education

Lesotho spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

spend 63.8% less on healthcare

Lesotho spends 12.6% 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 96.0% less likely to be murdered

Lesotho has a homicide rate of 37.7 per 100,000 people as of 2008. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2011.

View global rankings →

be 18.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Lesotho, road accidents kill 21.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vietnam, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 62.4 times more home broadband

Lesotho has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 7.1 times more strain on fresh water

Lesotho withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 48.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Lesotho, air pollution causes 100.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vietnam, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 9.9 times more CO2

Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2008–2021), World Health Organization (2024). 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 Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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