Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Vietnam instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

be 94.3% less likely to be obese

In Puerto Rico, 42.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 7.2 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 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 34.7% more likely to die by suicide

Puerto Rico has a suicide rate of 5.4 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 74.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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make 87.5% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.4 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 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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be 4.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 11.0 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 98.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Vietnam, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 32.3% less on education

Puerto Rico spends 4.3% 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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Geography

see 6.9 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Safety

be 41.6% more likely to die in a road accident

In Puerto Rico, road accidents kill 12.5 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 15.3% less home broadband

Puerto Rico has 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 11.4% less CO2

Puerto Rico emits 4.8 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), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Puerto Rico vs. Vietnam

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Vietnam is 60.9% cheaper than Puerto Rico overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Puerto Rico is about 36 times smaller than Vietnam.
→
Moving from Puerto Rico to Vietnam · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

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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How big is Vietnam compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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