Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colombia instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 3.2 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Colombia has 25.4 as of 2023.
have 17.6% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Colombia scores 80 as of 2021.
be 32.1% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.4 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 69.0% more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 as of 2025.
be 5.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
be 7.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Colombia, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2024.
Life
be 12.5% less 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 Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.
be 22.9% 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 Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 82.0% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Colombia spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 78.5% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Infrastructure
live with 80.0% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Colombia withdraws 4% as of 2022.
find 27.4% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.
use 40.0% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Colombia uses 1,551 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 53.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
emit 57.8% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Colombia
Colombia: At a glance
How big is Colombia compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.