Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 8.3 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 2.7 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
have 20.6% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.
be 76.6% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 13.2 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 9.9 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
be 42.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 93.8% less 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 United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 68.3% 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 United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.
have 26.8% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.8% more likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.6% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
Geography
see 61.7% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.
Safety
be 66.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 72.2% more home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
use 5.9 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
live with 83.3 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 34.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.3 times more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.