01
Physical geography
Low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest.
Local timeHanoi ·
Asia / South-Eastern Asia · Card 050
Vietnam
Vietnam is a country in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital is Hanoi.
Find Vietnam
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Hanoi
- Languages
- Vietnamese
- Currency
- Vietnamese đồng (VND)
- Population
- 101.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 331,212 km²127,882 square miles
- Independence declared
- 1945Reunification followed in 1976.
Vietnam in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Hanoi; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Vietnamese.
03
Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia.
Flag
Red field with a five-pointed yellow star in the center
History & independence
Vietnam declared independence in 1945, but war with France continued until 1954. The country was then divided, and a prolonged war ended with northern victory in 1975. Formal reunification followed in 1976; market-oriented Đổi Mới reforms began in 1986.
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Independence declared
-
Formal reunification
-
Đổi Mới economic reforms begin
Economy
Main activities
Manufacturing, services and agriculture are major activities. Electronics, garments, footwear, rice, coffee and seafood are important exports within global production networks.
Industry and production
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people101.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 41,475,230 | 41.475 |
| 1980 | 52,490,101 | 52.490 |
| 1990 | 65,504,552 | 65.505 |
| 2000 | 77,154,011 | 77.154 |
| 2010 | 87,455,152 | 87.455 |
| 2020 | 98,079,191 | 98.079 |
| 2025 | 101,598,527 | 101.599 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars437.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 45,057,981,855 | 45.058 |
| 1991 | 47,743,817,832 | 47.744 |
| 1992 | 51,871,770,981 | 51.872 |
| 1993 | 56,059,239,339 | 56.059 |
| 1994 | 61,014,304,827 | 61.014 |
| 1995 | 66,835,362,482 | 66.835 |
| 1996 | 73,077,797,034 | 73.078 |
| 1997 | 79,035,160,538 | 79.035 |
| 1998 | 83,591,107,164 | 83.591 |
| 1999 | 87,581,401,292 | 87.581 |
| 2000 | 93,525,828,109 | 93.526 |
| 2001 | 99,317,782,863 | 99.318 |
| 2002 | 105,595,482,131 | 105.595 |
| 2003 | 112,880,581,486 | 112.881 |
| 2004 | 121,387,725,605 | 121.388 |
| 2005 | 130,549,157,968 | 130.549 |
| 2006 | 139,658,819,217 | 139.659 |
| 2007 | 149,615,800,998 | 149.616 |
| 2008 | 158,086,705,343 | 158.087 |
| 2009 | 166,620,063,722 | 166.620 |
| 2010 | 177,322,478,338 | 177.322 |
| 2011 | 188,694,468,366 | 188.694 |
| 2012 | 199,081,239,732 | 199.081 |
| 2013 | 210,137,237,901 | 210.137 |
| 2014 | 223,632,762,208 | 223.633 |
| 2015 | 239,258,328,382 | 239.258 |
| 2016 | 255,264,731,908 | 255.265 |
| 2017 | 272,980,590,259 | 272.981 |
| 2018 | 293,358,610,037 | 293.359 |
| 2019 | 314,947,640,806 | 314.948 |
| 2020 | 323,972,192,107 | 323.972 |
| 2021 | 332,245,562,395 | 332.246 |
| 2022 | 360,611,028,654 | 360.611 |
| 2023 | 378,564,624,232 | 378.565 |
| 2024 | 405,213,877,699 | 405.214 |
| 2025 | 437,707,289,647 | 437.707 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.766High human developmentRank 93 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.499
20000.604
20100.686
20200.755
20230.766
74.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
One-party socialist republic led by the Communist Party of Vietnam. The National Assembly is the national legislature; the president and prime minister hold state and executive roles within the party-led system.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Vietnam.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Vietnam: Formal reunification?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.