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

Health

be 66.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Nigeria, 1.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 20.1 years longer

In Nigeria, the average life expectancy is 55 years (54 years for men, 55 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 82.4% less likely to be obese

In Nigeria, 13.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Nigeria spends $260 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

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have 2.9 times more doctors per person

Nigeria has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.

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have 78.9% more access to essential health services

Nigeria scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.

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be 46.3% more likely to die by suicide

Nigeria has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vietnam, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 50.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Nigeria, 3.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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be 92.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Nigeria, 56.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Vietnam, however, that number is 4.2% as of 2022.

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make 4.1 times more money

Nigeria has a GDP per capita of $1,224 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

be 95.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Nigeria, approximately 993.0 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 36.5% more likely to be literate

In Nigeria, the literacy rate is 70.4% as of 2024. In Vietnam, it is 96.1% as of 2022.

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be 82.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Nigeria, approximately 69.8 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 58.7% fewer children

In Nigeria, there are approximately 32.5 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 63.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nigeria, approximately 61% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 33% 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.

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be 2.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Nigeria, approximately 41.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vietnam, about 84.2% do as of 2024.

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be 20.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Nigeria, approximately 82% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 67% 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 9.0 times more on education

Nigeria spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 4.0 times more coastline

Nigeria has a total of 853 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Infrastructure

find 296.4 times more home broadband

Nigeria has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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use 17.9 times more electricity

Nigeria uses 144 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 87.5% more strain on fresh water

Nigeria withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 32.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Nigeria, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vietnam, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

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emit 7.5 times more CO2

Nigeria emits 0.6 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 (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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