Born in Viet Nam or in Malaysia?
Two babies are born the same second, one in Viet Nam and one in Malaysia. This is what the numbers say about the two lives ahead of them.
- A baby born in Viet Nam can expect to live 74.7 years; in Malaysia, 77 years.
- A child in Viet Nam is 2.1 times as likely to die before the age of five as a child in Malaysia.
- Income per person in Malaysia buys 2.3 times as much as in Viet Nam.
- Each year about 1,363,757 babies are born in Viet Nam and 444,758 in Malaysia.
Side by side
| Indicator | Viet Nam | Malaysia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and survival | |||
| Life expectancy, women (years) | 79.4 | 79.5 | 75.9 |
| Life expectancy, men (years) | 70.1 | 74.5 | 71 |
| Babies who die before 1 (per 1,000) | 12 | 7 | 27.8 |
| Children who die before 5 (per 1,000) | 17.3 | 8.3 | 37.6 |
| Mothers who die in childbirth (per 100,000 births) | 48 | 26 | 189 |
| Adults living with HIV (%) | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Adults who smoke (%) | 21 | 17 | 20 |
| Alcohol per adult (litres a year) | 8 | 0.74 | 4.6 |
| Road deaths (per 100,000) | 30.6 | 22.5 | 17 |
| Homicides (per 100,000) | 1.5 | 0.73 | 4.7 |
| Family and school | |||
| Children per woman | 1.9 | 1.54 | 2.85 |
| Women married before 18 (%) | 15 | โ 15 | 18 |
| Children in primary school (%) | 98 | 100 | 89 |
| Secondary school enrolment (%) | 93 | 80 | 81 |
| Higher education enrolment (%) | 38 | 39 | 48 |
| Children aged 7โ14 who work (%) | 10.9 | โ 11.5 | 11.9 |
| Money and work | |||
| Income per person (PPP) | $15,457 | $35,461 | $21,797 |
| Income inequality (Gini, 0โ100) | 36 | 41 | 34 |
| Living on under $3 a day (%) | 1.6 | 0 | 9.9 |
| Unemployment (%) | 1.5 | 3.8 | 5.1 |
| Jobs in farming (%) | 25 | 9 | 27 |
| Women in the workforce (%) | 69 | 52 | 48 |
| Health costs paid out of pocket (%) | 39 | 37 | 37 |
| Home and connection | |||
| Living in cities (%) | 39 | 77 | 58 |
| Access to electricity (%) | 100 | 100 | 92 |
| Safe drinking water (%) | 99 | 98 | 91 |
| Internet users (%) | 84 | 98 | 72 |
| Peace and wellbeing | |||
| Life satisfaction (0โ10) | 6.43 | 6.01 | 5.4 |
| Deaths in armed conflict (per 100,000 a year) | 0 | 0 | 2.43 |
| Refugees abroad (% of population) | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.34 |
โ Estimated from the region
From 1960 to 2050
How life here has changed, and where UN projections expect it to go. The dashed part is a projection.
Viet Nam: 1960: 58.1 โ 2026: 75.5 โ 2050: 78.9Malaysia: 1960: 57.3 โ 2026: 77.3 โ 2050: 81.2
Viet NamMalaysiaWorld
Viet Nam: 1960: 99 โ 2026: 17 โ 2050: 10Malaysia: 1960: 95 โ 2026: 8 โ 2050: 8
Viet NamMalaysiaWorld
Viet Nam: 1960: 6.3 โ 2026: 1.9 โ 2050: 1.8Malaysia: 1960: 6.4 โ 2026: 1.6 โ 2050: 1.5
Viet NamMalaysiaWorld
Viet Nam: 1960: 15 โ 2026: 39 โ 2050: 47Malaysia: 1960: 26 โ 2026: 78 โ 2050: 91
Viet NamMalaysiaWorld
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All 178 countries โ- Viet Nam vs Japan
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- Viet Nam vs United States
- Viet Nam vs France
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- Viet Nam vs Lao PDR
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- Thailand vs Malaysia
Sources: World Bank (WDI), UN World Population Prospects, Our World in Data, World Happiness Report, UCDP and PRIO. Updated 2026-10-18.