Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 50.7% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.4 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 8.6 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
see 52.2% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 71.4% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 39.7% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 8.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
be 11.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.
make 91.8% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 2.6 times more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 61.2% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vietnam, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 80.9% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vietnam, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.3 times more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 36.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.7% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 3.0 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 93.4% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.