Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Vietnam instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

be 55.3% less likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vietnam, that number is 2.1% of people as of 2016.

live 7.5 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Vietnam, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 39.4% less likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Vietnam, that number is 1.6% as of 2023.

be 66.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Vietnam, however, that number is 4.8% as of 2020.

make 72.9% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $50,600 as of 2023, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $13,700 as of 2023.

Life

have 2.2 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Vietnam, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 15.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Vietnam, 124.0 women do as of 2020.

be 5.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In South Korea, approximately 2.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Vietnam, on the other hand, 14.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 24.5% less likely to have internet access

In South Korea, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Vietnam, about 74.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 12.8% less on education

South Korea spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Vietnam spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 44.0% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Vietnam, that number is 4.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 42.7% more coastline

South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Vietnam: At a glance

Vietnam (sometimes abbreviated SRV) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 310,070 sq km. 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, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.
Read more

How big is Vietnam compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Vietnam.or South Korea It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.