| Vietnam | UK |
| Population (millions): | 85 | 60.8 |
| Poverty (% of population below national poverty line): | 28.9% | 17% |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years (26.3%),
15-64 years (67.9%),
65 years + (5.8%) | 0-14 years (17.2%),
15-64 years (67%),
65 years + (15.8%) |
| Life expectancy: | 71 years | 78.7 years |
| Population growth rate: | 1% | 0.28% |
| HIV/AIDS (% of adult population infected) : | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Religions: | Buddhist 9.3%,
Catholic 6.7%,
Hoa Hao 1.5%,
Cao Dai 1.1%,
Protestant 0.5%,
Muslim 0.1%,
none 80.8% | Christian (71.6%),
Muslim (2.7%),
Hindu (1%),
other (1.6%),
unspecified or none (23.1%) |
| Literacy: | 90.3% | 99% |
| Gross Domestic Product1 | $262.8 billion | $2.346 trillion |
| Gross National Income per capita2: | $540 | $33,630 |
| Labour force by occupation: | Agriculture (56.8%),
Industry (37%),
Services (6.2%) | Agriculture (1%),
Industry (25.6%),
Services (73.4%) |
| Unemployment rate: | 2% | 2.9% |
| Household income consumption3: | Lowest 10% (3.6%),
Highest 10% (29.9%) | Lowest 10% (2.1%),
Highest 10% (28.5%) |
Vietnam is a poor, densely-populated country that has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy.
Despite the return of peace in the 1970s, for over two decades the country experienced little economic growth. However, in the last decade, Vietnam has made extraordinary progress in reducing poverty and increasing economic growth.
In 1992, 58% of the population had an income of less than $1 a day. By 2002, the number had halved to 29%. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalisation and enacted structural reforms needed to modernise the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries.
However, there are still over 23 million Vietnamese people living in poverty today. There is an increasing gap between rich and poor, and some areas of the country and groups of society, particularly ethnic minorities, are being left behind.
The widening gap between the richest and poorest quintiles shows the extent to which the poor are lagging behind. The challenge now is a continued and sustainable reduction in poverty and increase in economic growth, and to ensure that everyone benefits.
Notes
1: GDP is the value of goods and services that a country's citizens produce. GNP is one measure of the economic condition of a country.
2: GNI is a country’s gross national income. GNI divided by total population gives GNI per capita.This indicator represents the well being of the population. However, it is anaverage that does not take into account inequalities of income within a country.
3: The percentage of total national household income held by the bottom 10% of households compared to the top 10% of households.
