Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Cambodia instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 38.4% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cambodia, it is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.9 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.
see 49.2% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cambodia spends $350 as of 2023.
have 80.9% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Cambodia has 2.1 as of 2019.
have 14.7% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cambodia scores 58 as of 2021.
Economy
be 82.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cambodia, that number is 0.3% as of 2025.
make 43.3% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Cambodia, the GDP per capita is $2,872 as of 2025.
Life
have 51.3% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cambodia, there are 20.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.9 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 Cambodia, 137.0 women do as of 2023.
be 25.2% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Cambodia, it is 71.9% as of 2021.
be 36.7% 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 Cambodia, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.6% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cambodia, about 68.5% do as of 2024.
be 16.1% 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 Cambodia, that number is 83% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 24.6% less on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Cambodia spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 87.1% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Cambodia, that number is 443 km.
Safety
be 20.0% more likely to be murdered
Vietnam has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Cambodia, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2011.
Infrastructure
live with 94.3% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cambodia withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 82.5% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cambodia has 4.2 as of 2024.
use 63.9% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Cambodia uses 932 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 74.2% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 15.4% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cambodia, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Cambodia
Cambodia: At a glance
How big is Cambodia compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.