Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nepal instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 4.1 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Nepal, that number is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nepal, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
see 51.8% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nepal spends $332 as of 2023.
have 20.6% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nepal scores 54 as of 2021.
be 38.9% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nepal, it is 10.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nepal, that number is 10.5% as of 2025.
be 4.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Nepal, however, that number is 20.3% as of 2022.
make 69.7% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Nepal, the GDP per capita is $1,536 as of 2025.
Life
have 41.3% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nepal, there are 19.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.0 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 Nepal, 142.0 women do as of 2023.
be 25.9% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Nepal, it is 71.2% as of 2021.
be 85.0% 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 Nepal, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 45.0% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nepal, about 46.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 27.7% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Nepal spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 35.1% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nepal, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 59.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nepal, they kill 28.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 54.2% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nepal withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 57.5% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nepal has 10.1 as of 2024.
use 86.4% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nepal uses 351 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 87.4% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nepal emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 46.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nepal, it causes 76.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Nepal
Nepal: At a glance
How big is Nepal compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.