Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Vietnam: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBB, ranked #33 of 195).
Vietnam is a communist party-led state in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia. The country's capital is Hanoi (Ha Noi); it covers 331,210 sq km. Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France). Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest. Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March). Population: 106.7 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.86% per year. Median age: 33.5 years. Life expectancy: 76.1 years (2024 est.). Languages: Vietnamese (official); …
| Capital | Hanoi (Ha Noi) |
|---|---|
| Population | 106,688,169 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.456 trillion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $14,400 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 7.1% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.6% |
| Unemployment | 1.5% |
| Public debt | 58.5% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $429.383 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $398.672 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 76.1 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 33.5 |
| Urbanization | 39.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | communist party-led state |
| Independence | 2 September 1945 (from France) |
| Languages | Vietnamese (official); English (often as a second language); some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain-area languages (including Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) |
MBB · 64/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum +4 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The growth engine kept roaring — second-quarter figures stayed near 8% — with the Party Congress mandate fresh and bamboo diplomacy spanning every major power.
No shocks, strong numbers: a solidly positive quarter for Asia's most consistent performer.
Antimony, Phosphates, Coal, Manganese, Rare earths, Bauxite, Timber, Hydropower.
Tô Lâm — President. President Luong CUONG (since 21 Oct 2024)
Vietnam maintains 94 embassies abroad, hosts 83 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva, UNESCO Paris. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 94 |
|---|---|
| Foreign missions hosted | 83 |
| Multilateral missions | ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva, UNESCO Paris |
Source: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (released 2024-02-25), https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/; Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Vietnam', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Vietnam; '... in Vietnam', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Vietnam
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 3444 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 36 + 26 heliports (registration prefix VN) |
| Major seaports | Da Nang, Hai Phong, Nghe Tinh, Nha Trang, Thanh Ho Chi Minh, Vinh Cam Ranh, Vung Tau |
| Railways | 2600 km |
| Pipelines | 72 km condensate, 398 km condensate/gas, 955 km gas, 128 km oil, 33 km oil/gas/water, 206 km refined products, 13 km water (2013) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Saigon (7,956,133 TEU, 2021); Haiphong (5,695,839 TEU, 2021); Cai Mep (5,385,289 TEU, 2021) |
Cam Ranh International Airport / Cam Ranh Air Base (CXR) — Nha Trang/nha Trang aiurportCam Ranh; Can Tho International Airport (VCA) — Can Tho; Cat Bi International Airport (HPH) — Haiphong (Hai An); Da Nang International Airport (DAD) — Da Nang; Long Thanh International Airport (Under Construction) (LTH) — Ho Chi Minh City (Long Thanh); Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) — Hanoi (Soc Son); Phu Bai International Airport (HUI) — Huế; Phú Quốc International Airport (PQC) — Phu Quoc Island; Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) — Ho Chi Minh City; Buon Ma Thuot Airport (BMV) — Buon Ma Thuot.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
| River ports | Ho Chi Minh (Mekong) |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | one-party communist state |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2021 — National Assembly; 2021-05-23; winner: Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV); Election functions as party ratification; 99.6% reported turnout Wikipedia |
| Next election | 2026 — National Assembly (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
MBB · 64 Ranked #33 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Vietnam.
Historical timeline of Vietnam
