Vietnam

Broadcast media

government controls all broadcast media exercising oversight through the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); government-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), operates a network of 9 channels with several regional broadcasting centers; programming is relayed nationwide via a network of provincial and municipal TV stations; law limits access to satellite TV but many households are able to access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; government-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on 6 channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2008)

Internet country code

.vn

Internet users

total: 49.741 million | percent of population: 52.7% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Telephone system

general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system | domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly | international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, completed in 2009, provided new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 5.9 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 122 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Agriculture - products

rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood

Budget

revenues: $45.96 billion | expenditures: $54.67 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2012) | 15% (31 December 2011) | country comparison to the world: 31

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7.12% (31 December 2015 est.) | 8.67% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Current account balance

$2.764 billion (2015 est.) | $9.33 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Debt - external

$73.33 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $71.89 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.6 (2008) | 36.1 (1998) | country comparison to the world: 77

Economy - overview

Vietnam is a densely populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy since 1986. Agriculture's share of economic output has shrunk from about 25% in 2000 to 18% in 2014, while industry's share increased from 36% to 38% in the same period. State-owned enterprises now account for only about 40% of GDP. | Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic modernization and a more open economy. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007, which has promoted more competitive, export-driven industries. Vietnam was one of 12-nations that concluded the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations in 2015. | Hanoi has oscillated between promoting growth and emphasizing macroeconomic stability in recent years. During 2015, Vietnam's managed currency, the dong, depreciated about 5%. Poverty has declined significantly, and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. | Vietnam is trying to reform its economy by restructuring public investment, state-owned enterprises, and the banking sector, although Hanoi’s progress in meeting its goals is lagging behind the proposed schedule. Vietnam's economy continues to face challenges from an undercapitalized banking sector and nonperforming loans.

Exchange rates

dong (VND) per US dollar - | 21,909 (2015 est.) | 21,189 (2014 est.) | 21,189 (2013 est.) | 20,859 (2012 est.) | 20,649 (2011 est.)

Exports

$162.1 billion (2015 est.) | $150.2 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Exports - commodities

clothes, shoes, electronics, seafood, crude oil, rice, coffee, wooden products, machinery

Exports - partners

US 21.2%, China 13.3%, Japan 8.4%, South Korea 5.5%, Germany 4.1% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$191.5 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$552.3 billion (2015 est.) | $517.7 billion (2014 est.) | $488.5 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 36

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 66.7% | government consumption: 6.3% | investment in fixed capital: 24.8% | investment in inventories: 3.9% | exports of goods and services: 89.4% | imports of goods and services: -91.1% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 17.4% | industry: 38.8% | services: 43.7% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,000 (2015 est.) | $5,700 (2014 est.) | $5,400 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 161

GDP - real growth rate

6.7% (2015 est.) | 6% (2014 est.) | 5.4% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Gross national saving

28.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 31.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | 31.2% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.2% | highest 10%: 30.2% (2008)

Imports

$154.7 billion (2015 est.) | $138.1 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles

Imports - partners

China 34.1%, South Korea 14.3%, Singapore 6.5%, Japan 6.4%, Hong Kong 5.1%, Thailand 4.5% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

9.6% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Industries

food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2015 est.) | 4.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Labor force

54.45 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 48% | industry: 21% | services: 31% (2012)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$38.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $26 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $37 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Population below poverty line

11.3% (2012 est.)

Public debt

54.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 52.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | note: official data; data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions | country comparison to the world: 71

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$28.62 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $34.58 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Stock of broad money

$261.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $235 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$7.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.) | $5.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$102.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $90.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Stock of domestic credit

$239.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $209.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Stock of narrow money

$62.92 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $56.12 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Taxes and other revenues

24% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Unemployment rate

3.5% (2015 est.) | 3.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

142 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Crude oil - exports

163,100 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Crude oil - production

333,400 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Crude oil - proved reserves

4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 25

Electricity - consumption

125 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Electricity - exports

1.5 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54

Electricity - from fossil fuels

48.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

50.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Electricity - imports

4.1 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Electricity - installed generating capacity

39 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

Electricity - production

135 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

Electricity access

population without electricity: 2,600,000 | electrification - total population: 99% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 98% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

8.99 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Natural gas - production

8.99 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Natural gas - proved reserves

699.4 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 30

Refined petroleum products - consumption

392,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

Refined petroleum products - exports

27,740 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Refined petroleum products - imports

211,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Refined petroleum products - production

141,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Area

total: 331,210 sq km | land: 310,070 sq km | water: 21,140 sq km | country comparison to the world: 66

Area - comparative

about three times the size of Tennesee; slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Coastline

3,444 km (excludes islands)

Elevation

mean elevation: 398 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m | highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m

Environment - current issues

logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

16 10 N, 107 50 E

Geography - note

extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point

Irrigated land

46,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 4,616 km | border countries (3): Cambodia 1,158 km, China 1,297 km, Laos 2,161 km

Land use

agricultural land: 34.8% | arable land 20.6%; permanent crops 12.1%; permanent pasture 2.1% | forest: 45% | other: 20.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta

Natural resources

phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land

Terrain

low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Administrative divisions

58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) | provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai | municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Capital

name: Hanoi (Ha Noi) | geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E | time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Vietnam | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

several previous; latest adopted 15 April 1992, effective 1 January 1995; amended 2001, 2013 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam | conventional short form: Vietnam | local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam | local short form: Viet Nam | abbreviation: SRV | etymology: "Viet nam" translates as "Viet south" where "Viet" is an ethnic self identification dating to a second century B.C. kingdom and "nam" refers to its location in relation to other Viet kingdoms

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ted G. OSIUS III (since 16 December 2014) | embassy: Rose Garden Building, 170 Ngoc Khanh St., Hanoi | mailing address: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi; 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550 | telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000 | FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010 | consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pham Quang VINH (since 23 February 2015) | chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 | FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 | consulate(s) general: Houston, San Francisco | consulate: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Tran Dai QUANG (since 2 April 2016); Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc THINH (since 7 April 2016) | head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 7 April 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Truong Hoa BINH (since 9 April 2016), Vuong Dinh HUE (since 9 April 2016), Vu Duc DAM (since 13 November 2013), Trinh Dinh DUNG (since 9 April 2016), Pham Binh MINH (since 13 November 2013) | cabinet: Cabinet proposed by prime minister, appointed by the president, and confirmed by the National Assembly | elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National Assembly from among its members for a single 5-year term; election last held on 2 April 2016 (next to be held in spring 2021); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of the National Assembly, confirmed by National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister, confirmed by National Assembly | election results: Tran Dai QUANG (CPV) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.9%; Nguyen Xuan PHUC elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 91.0%

Flag description

red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center; red symbolizes revolution and blood, the five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace - peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers - that unite to build socialism

Government type

communist state

Independence

2 September 1945 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges) | judge selection and term of office: chief justice elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; other judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms | subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and labor courts; Central Military Court; People's Special Courts; note - the National Assembly can establish special tribunals

Legal system

civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 22 May 2016 (next to be held in May 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 475, non-party CPV-approved 19, self-nominated 2; note - 496 candidates were elected

National anthem

name: "Tien quan ca" (The Song of the Marching Troops) | lyrics/music: Nguyen Van CAO | note: adopted as the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945; it became the national anthem of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976; although it consists of two verses, only the first is used as the official anthem

National holiday

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

National symbol(s)

yellow, five-pointed star on red field; lotus blossom; national colors: red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG] | note: other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders

8406 Bloc | Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV | People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN | Alliance for Democracy | note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The communist leaders maintain tight control on political expression but have demonstrated some modest steps toward better protection of human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests, the vast majority connected to either land-use issues, calls for increased political space, or the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. The small-scale protests in the urban areas are often organized by human rights activists, but many occur in rural areas and involve various ethnic minorities such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands, H'mong in the Northwest Highlands, and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region.

Military branches

People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; includes Vietnam People's Navy (with Naval Infantry), Vietnam People's Air and Air Defense Force, Border Defense Command, Coast Guard) (2013)

Military expenditures

2.37% of GDP (2012) | 2.17% of GDP (2011) | 2.37% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 33

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for male compulsory and voluntary military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscription typically takes place twice annually and service obligation is 18 months (Army, Air Defense), 2 years (Navy and Air Force); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Force service; males may enroll in military schools at age 17 (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.84% (male 11,938,563/female 10,767,261) | 15-24 years: 16.69% (male 8,240,861/female 7,658,711) | 25-54 years: 45.22% (male 21,690,214/female 21,390,448) | 55-64 years: 8.24% (male 3,610,716/female 4,238,569) | 65 years and over: 6.01% (male 2,216,485/female 3,509,193) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

15.7 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 2,545,616 | percentage: 16% (2006 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.1% (2013) | country comparison to the world: 60

Contraceptive prevalence rate

78.1% (2011)

Death rate

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 42.5% | youth dependency ratio: 32.9% | elderly dependency ratio: 9.6% | potential support ratio: 10.4% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99.1% of population | rural: 96.9% of population | total: 97.6% of population | urban: 0.9% of population | rural: 3.1% of population | total: 2.4% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 33

Ethnic groups

Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, Hoa 1%, other 4.3% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.48% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

HIV/AIDS - deaths

8,900 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

255,100 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Health expenditures

7.1% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 92

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 18.2 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 17.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Languages

Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.4 years | male: 70.9 years | female: 76.2 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 94.5% | male: 96.3% | female: 92.8% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis (2016)

Major urban areas - population

Ho Chi Minh City 7.298 million; HANOI (capital) 3.629 million; Can Tho 1.175 million; Haiphong 1.075 million; Da Nang 952,000; Bien Hoa 834,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

54 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Median age

total: 30.1 years | male: 28.9 years | female: 31.2 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Nationality

noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) | adjective: Vietnamese

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.5% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 186

Physicians density

1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

95,261,021 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Population growth rate

0.95% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Religions

Buddhist 7.9%, Catholic 6.6%, Hoa Hao 1.7%, Cao Dai 0.9%, Protestant 0.9%, Muslim 0.1%, none 81.8% (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 94.4% of population | rural: 69.7% of population | total: 78% of population | urban: 5.6% of population | rural: 30.3% of population | total: 22% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female | total population: 1 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 6% | male: 5.3% | female: 6.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Urbanization

urban population: 33.6% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 2.95% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activities; progress on a joint development area with Cambodia is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in China; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islands; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; China occupies the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending beyond as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Lousia Reef; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Economic Exclusion Zone negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and the two countries in Fall 2011 agreed to work together to reduce illegal fishing along their maritime boundary

Illicit drugs

minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns; enforces the death penalty for drug trafficking

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 11,000 (2015); note - Vietnam's stateless ethnic Chinese Cambodian population dates to the 1970s when thousands of Cambodians fled to Vietnam to escape the Khmer Rouge and were no longer recognized as Cambodian citizens; Vietnamese women who gave up their citizenship to marry foreign men have found themselves stateless after divorcing and returning home to Vietnam; the government addressed this problem in 2009, and Vietnamese women are beginning to reclaim their citizenship

Airports

45 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 97

Airports - with paved runways

total: 38 | over 3,047 m: 10 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 | 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 | under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VN (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 579 | by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 142, cargo 335, chemical tanker 23, container 19, liquefied gas 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 | registered in other countries: 86 (Cambodia 1, Kiribati 2, Mongolia 33, Panama 43, Taiwan 1, Tuvalu 6) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 20

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 4 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 140 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 29,944,771 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 384,470,240 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

condensate 72 km; condensate/gas 398 km; gas 955 km; oil 128 km; oil/gas/water 33 km; refined products 206 km; water 13 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Haiphong, Phu My, Quy Nhon | river port(s): Ho Chi Minh (Mekong) | container port(s) (TEUs): Haiphong (1,018,794), Saigon New Port (3,071,777)

Railways

total: 2,600 km | standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge | narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 63

Roadways

total: 195,468 km | paved: 148,338 km | unpaved: 47,130 km (2013) | country comparison to the world: 24

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift

Waterways

47,130 km (30,831 km weight under 50 tons) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 4