VietNam » General Info » Population

In 2001 VietNam’s rapidly growing population is estimated at nearly 80 million, making it the twelfth most populous country in the world. Two-thirds of the population are under 25 years of age, and the birthrate is approximately 2.3%.

The population makeup is roughly 85% ethnic Viêtnamese, 3% ethnic Chinese, and the remaining 12% a mixture of over 50 ethno-linguistic groups, including Khmer, Cham and Muong. The largest single minority group - the Chinese - live mostly in the Cho Lon District of Ho Chi Minh City/SaiGon and other large cities.

ViêtNam’s infant mortality rate is 36/1000. Life expectancy for males is 63 years and 67 years for females.

VietNam has one of the most complex ethno-linguistic mixes in all of Asia. Aside from the Kinh or Viêtnamese, the rest of the country’s 54 nationalities inhabit the Central Highlands and the mountainous regions in the north. The official language is Vietnamese – a hybrid of Mon-Khmer, Tai and Chinese. English is increasingly favoured as a second language. In addition to English, many Vietnamese officials and businessmen speak some French, Russian or Chinese.

Population:
	81,098,416 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
	0-14 years: 31.6% (male 13,259,152; female 12,392,089) 15-64 years: 62.9% (male 24,938,098; female 26,083,681) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 1,749,531; female 2,675,865) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
	1.43% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
	20.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
	6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
	-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
	Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
	29.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
	Total population: 69.86 years Male: 67.4 years Female: 72.5 years (2002 est.)
Total fertility rate:
	2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
	0.24% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
	100,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
	2,500 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
	Noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) Adjective: Vietnamese
Ethnic groups:
	Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain or Montagnard groups.
Religions:
	Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim.
Languages:
	Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favoured as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian).
Literacy:
	Definition: age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 93.7% Male: 96.5% Female: 91.2% (1995 est.)

General Info » Economy - Overview

VietNam is a poor, densely populated country that has had to recover from the ravages of the American War in VietNam, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned economy.

Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1996 in moving forward from an extremely low starting point - growth averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy but, rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's belief that shifting to a market oriented economy leads to disaster.

GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth then rose to 6.8% in 2000 and dropped back to 4.7% in 2001 against the background of global recession.

These numbers mask some major difficulties in economic performance. Many domestic industries, including coal, cement, steel, and paper, have reported large stockpiles of inventory and tough competition from more efficient foreign producers.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have moved slowly in implementing the structural reforms needed to revitalise the economy and produce more competitive, export-driven industries.

The US-VietNam Bilateral Trade Agreement entered into force near the end of 2001 and is expected to significantly increase Vietnam's exports to the US. The US is assisting VietNam with implementing the legal and structural reforms called for in the agreement.

GDP:
	Purchasing power parity - $168.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
	4.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
	Purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
	Agriculture: 25% Industry: 35% Services: 40% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line:
	37% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
	Lowest 10%: 4% Highest 10%: 30% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
	36 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
	-0.3% (2001 est.)
Labour force:
	38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labour force - by occupation:
	Agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
	25% (1995 est.)
Budget:
	Revenues: USD$5.3-billion
	Expenditures: USD$5.6-billion, including capital expenditures of USD$1.8-billion (1999 est.)
Industries:
	food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper.
Industrial production growth rate:
	10.4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
	25.775 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
	Fossil fuel: 41% Hydro: 59% Other: 0% (2000) Nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
	23.97 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
	0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
	Paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish.
Exports:
	$15.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities:
	Crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners:
	Japan 18.1%, China 10.6%, Australia 8.8%, Singapore 6.1%, Taiwan 5.2%, Germany 5.1%, US 5.1% (2000)
Imports:
	$15.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities:
	Machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles.
Imports - partners:
	Singapore 17.7%, Japan 14.4%, Taiwan 12.1%, South Korea 11.1%, China 9.1%, Thailand 5.2%, Hong Kong 3.9% (2000)
Debt - external:
	$13.2 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient:
	$2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
Currency:
	Đong (VNĐ) (paper only - no coins)
Currency code:
	VNĐ
Exchange rates:
	Đong per US dollar - 15,085 (January 2002), 14,725 (2001), 14,168 (2000), 13,943 (1999), 13,268 (1998), 11,683 (1997)
Fiscal year:
	Calendar year

General Info » Religion

The predominant religion practiced by the Vietnamese is Mahayana Buddhism, which is often referred to as a way of life or a philosophy rather than a religion.

It advocates moderation in all facets of life and sees material objects as standing in the way of greater happiness. Buddhists believe in reincarnation, with the actions of your current life determining the role of your next life. By living simply and selflessly, a person will be reincarnated many times over. This continues over many lifetimes until the soul reaches a stage of eternal happiness - nirvana.

Other religions practiced in VietNam are Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant), animism, Cao Daism, Hoa Hao and a small number practice Islam.

Religious practices for Foreigners
Ha Noi’s large Catholic cathedral has services only in Vietnamese; another Catholic church, the Cua Bach Church, near West Lake has a Sunday morning mass in English.

Joint Catholic and Protestant ecumenical services as well as Evangelical services in English are conducted every Sunday at local hotels.

Islamic services are held every Friday. Jewish services are not available.

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Updated 2004JUL03