Vietnam joined Japan and the Philippines indenouncing China’s increasingly assertive militaryposture in the South China Sea in 2016 (see

Special Report on page 306). In January China’s landingof a test flight at Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed SpratlyIslands triggered a fresh round of protests, andVietnamese officials called the move an infringement onVietnam’s sovereignty. In May U.S. Pres. Barack Obamavisited Vietnam, and at a joint press conference with Pres.Tran Dai Quang, Obama announced the lifting of adecades-old arms embargo.Obama stressed that the deci-sion was not made to counterChinese influence in the region,and Quang characterized it asthe final step in the normaliza-tion of relations between theircountries.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2015): 16.0(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000population (2015): 5.9(world avg. 8.1).

Life expectancy at birth(2015): male 73.2 years;female 75.9 years.

Adult population (ages15–49) living with HIV(2015): 0.5% (worldavg. 0.8%).

DemographyPopulation (2016): 92,885,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi 726.3,persons per sq km 280.4.

Sex distribution (2014): male 49.31%;female 50.69%.

Population projection: (2020) 96,537,000;(2030) 103,483,000.

Major urban agglomerations (2014): Ho Chi Minh City 6,861,000;

Hanoi 3,292,000; Can Tho1,037,000; Haiphong1,001,000; Da Nang894,000.

Urban-rural (2014):

Vietnam

Official name: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu NghiaViet Nam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

Form of government: socialist republic with onelegislative house (National Assembly [500]).

Head of state: President Tran Dai Quang.Head of government: Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc.

Capital: Hanoi.Official language: Vietnamese.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: dong (VND); valuation (Sept. 1, 2016) 1 U.S.$ = VND 22,303; 1 £ = VND 29,662.

Ethnic composition (2009):

Age breakdown (2014):

Religious affiliation (2009):

Area and population area population

2014Socioeconomic regions1 Principal cities sq mi sq km estimate

Central Highlands Buon Ma Thuot 21,097 54,641 5,504,560Mekong River Delta Long Xuyen 15,665 40,572 17,501,852North and South Central Coast Da Nang 37,002 95,835 19,482,435

Northern Midlands and Mountains Thai Nguyen 36,786 95,275 11,633,548

Red River Delta Hanoi 8,131 21,059 20,649,605Southeast Ho Chi Minh City 9,109 23,591 15,721,352TOTAL 127,7892 330,9722 90,493,352

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National economyBudget (2008). Revenue: VND 323,000,000,000,000 (tax revenue 89.0%,

of which non-oil related 68.7%, oil related 20.3%; non-tax revenue 9.9%; grants 1.1%). Expenditures: VND364,000,000,000,000 (current expenditure 72.6%; capitalexpenditure 27.4%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$44,818,-000,000.

Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$181,804,000,000(U.S.$1,980 per capita); purchasing power parity GNI(U.S.$5,690 per capita).

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2014): rice 44,974,206, sugarcane19,822,851, cassava 10,209,882, corn (maize) 5,202,511,

bananas 1,892,5234, coffee (green) 1,461,0004, sweet potatoes1,401,055, coconuts 1,374,404, cashews 1,110,8004, natural rubber949,1004, mangoes, mangosteens, and guavas 705,8654, pineapples585,1204, tea 214,3004, black pepper 163,0004, cinnamon 22,0004; live-stock (number of live animals) 26,761,600 pigs, 5,234,300 cattle,2,511,900 buffalo, 68,507,000 ducks, 250,0004 beehives; roundwood(2015) 26,653,800 cu m, of which fuelwood 75%; fisheries production6,316,264 (from aquaculture 54%); aquatic plants production 14,327(from aquaculture 100%). Mining and quarrying (20136): phosphaterock 2,400,000; iron ore 1,500,0007; bauxite 250,000; barite 85,000; zinc25,0007; manganese 9,700; tin 5,4007. Manufacturing (value of produc-tion in U.S.$’000,000; 2010): food and food products 4,645; textiles,wearing apparel, and footwear 4,236; cement, bricks, and ceramics2,498; transportation equipment 2,294; fabricated metal products 1,831;chemicals and chemical products 1,471; electronics 1,405; base metals1,172; beverages 1,103. Energy production (consumption): electricity(kW-hr; 2013–14) 118,500,000,000 ([2012] 104,000,000,000), by source(2013): fossil fuels 54.1%; renewable energy 45.9%, of which hydro-electric 45.9%; hard coal (metric tons; 2013–14) 41,000,000 ([2011]28,300,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 2013–14) 119,000,000 ([2011]47,100,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 2012) 6,692,000 ([2011]16,340,000); natural gas (cu m; 2013–14) 9,474,000,000 ([2012]10,200,000,000).

Population economically active: total (2014) 53,714,500; participationrates (2015): age 15 and over, male 82.4%; female 72.7%; unemployed2.1%, of which youth (ages 15–24) 7.0%.

Average household size (2009): 3.8.Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 21.0%, in permanent crops 11.9%, in pasture 2.1%, forest area45.0%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2015):

482,000 (army 85.5%, navy 8.3%, air force6.2%); reserve 5,000,000. Military expendi-ture as percentage of GDP (2014): 2.5%;per capita expenditure U.S.$45.

Foreign trade5

Imports (2012): U.S.$113,780,000,000 (machineryand transport equipment 34.2%, basic manufac-tures 23.0%, chemicals and chemical products14.2%, mineral fuels and lubricants 10.1%, foodand live animals 6.7%). Major import sources (2013):

Exports (2012): U.S.$114,529,000,000 (miscellaneousmanufactured goods 28.5%, machinery and trans-port equipment 26.8%, food and live animals16.4%, basic manufactures 10.7%, mineral fuelsand lubricants 9.9%). Major export destinations (2013):

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2012): route length (2008) 1,635mi, 2,632 km; passenger-km 4,600,600,000; metric ton-km cargo 4,024,500,000. Roads (2012): total length134,562 mi, 216,557 km (paved 52%); passenger-km87,200,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 43,902,400,000.Vehicles (2007): passenger cars 1,146,312;trucks and buses, n.a. Inland waterway(2012): passenger-km 2,800,000,000; metricton-km cargo 37,018,300,000.

Education and healthLiteracy (2013): percentage of population age 15 and overliterate 94.8%; males literate 96.6%; females literate 93.1%.

Health: physicians (2012) 73,700 (1 per 1,205 persons); hospi-tal beds (2013) 280,700 (1 per 320 persons); infant mortalityrate per 1,000 live births (2015) 18.4; undernourished popu-lation (2006–08) 9,600,000 (11% of total population basedon the consumption of a minimum daily requirement of1,820 calories).

1Six socioeconomic regions are divided into 58 provinces and 5 municipalities. 2Detail doesnot add to total given because of rounding. 3Employed only; age 15 and over. 42013.5Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 6Preliminary. 7Metal content. 8Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• General Statistics Office of Vietnam www.gso.gov.vn• State Bank of Vietnam www.sbv.gov.vn

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2009 2008

in value % of total labour % of labourVND ’000,000,000 value force3 force3

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 326,505 22.1 23,634,700 52.6Mining and quarrying 131,968 8.9 431,200 1.0Public utilities 47,644 3.2 224,600 0.5Manufacturing 311,848 21.1 6,306,200 14.0Construction 95,696 6.5 2,394,000 5.3Transp. and commun. 67,100 4.5 1,221,700 2.7Trade, restaurants 269,563 18.3 6,202,800 13.8Finance, real estate 80,958 5.5 471,600 1.1Pub. admin., defense 40,992 2.8 866,900 1.9Services, other 105,441 7.1 3,162,100 7.1TOTAL 1,477,7172 100.0 44,915,800 100.0

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 122,0008 1,3068

Landline 2015 5,900 63

Internet users 2009 24,000 273Broadband 2015 7,6008 818

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