If you lived in Vietnam instead of Marshall Islands, you would:

Health

live 7.7 years longer

In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 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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be 94.3% less likely to be obese

In Marshall Islands, 42.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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have 15.3% more access to essential health services

Marshall Islands scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.

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see 21.1% less spent on your healthcare

Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 41.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Vietnam, however, that number is 4.2% as of 2022.

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make 40.3% less money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

be 69.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 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 47.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 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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have 33.2% fewer children

In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 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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Basic Needs

be 27.7% more likely to have internet access

In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vietnam, about 84.2% do as of 2024.

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be 12.9% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 62.5% less on education

Marshall Islands spends 7.7% 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 66.0% less on healthcare

Marshall Islands spends 13.4% 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 9.3 times more coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Safety

be 48.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 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 10.1 times more home broadband

Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (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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