Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 4.2 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 19.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 26.5% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 17.1 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 17.8 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 64.6% 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 States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 54.2% 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 States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 21.0% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.5% more likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 87.5% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 3.7 times more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 5.8 times more coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 19.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 63.9% more home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 5.0 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 55.3% more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 73.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.2 times more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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 States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.