Vietnam population pyramid 2026
102,177,431 people in 2026 (projected). Vietnam’s pyramid has a deep waist at ages 20–29 between two large generations, plus a surplus of boys at the base from sex-selective births.
- 2026 population
- 102.2Mrank 16 of 237
- Median age
- 33.9 yearsoldest rank 113
- Fertility rate
- 1.86births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Transitional9.9% age 65+
Vietnam population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
Hover over or tap a bar to see exact values.
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Vietnam age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 22.4% of the population, while 9.9% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 67.7% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Vietnam’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 47.8: about 48 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (33.2 children and 14.6 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Vietnam’s population pyramid
Two generations and a waist between them
Vietnam’s 2026 pyramid is unusually uneven, and the cause is the timing of births rather than war. Ages 30–44, born in 1982–96, form a broad bulge: they were born when fertility was still well above replacement and the number of women of childbearing age was rising fast. Directly below, ages 20–29, born in 1997–2006, are much narrower, holding about 12.7% of the population against 16.1% at ages 30–39. Fertility fell to around replacement level by 2000, helped by a long-standing state policy promoting families of one or two children, formalized nationally in 1988.
Below the waist is an echo. Ages 10–14, born in 2012–16, are the widest band in the pyramid, because the large 1980s–90s cohorts were by then having children of their own, even at about two children each. The Vietnam 2050 pyramid shows the same waist moved up to ages 45–54. The Vietnam vs Thailand comparison sets this against a neighbor whose fertility fell earlier and further.
More boys at the base, more women at the top
The two ends of the pyramid are lopsided in opposite directions. At ages 0–4 there are roughly 113 boys for every 100 girls, well above the biological norm of about 105. The General Statistics Office has documented a rise in the sex ratio at birth since the mid-2000s, generally linked to son preference combined with access to prenatal sex determination and small family sizes.
At older ages the imbalance reverses: at 65–69 there are only about 74 men per 100 women, and the gap widens with age. Part of this is the large female advantage in life expectancy in Vietnam, and part is the lasting effect of war-related male deaths among men born in the 1930s–50s. The general mechanics are explained in sex ratio and age structure.
Under the UN medium scenario Vietnam’s population peaks at about 110 million around 2050, with a median age near 40.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | 2012–2016 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +17% |
| 25–29 | 1997–2001 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −12% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2051. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2045.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Vietnam is projected to record 1,307,471 births (about one birth every 24 seconds) and 695,501 deaths, a natural increase of 611,970. Net migration adds −51,045 people, ranking #133 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 36,138,665 births, 12,804,505 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +598,427. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −852,759 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 79.6 years52.8 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 70.4 years43.9 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.6 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 14.0per 1,000 births · 94 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 18.8per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 27.2 yearssex ratio at birth 110.1
Women in Vietnam are projected to live 9.2 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 94 to 14.0 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #82 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 27.2 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Vietnam
The median age of 33.9 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.86 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 75.0 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 102,177,431 | #16 | Largest first |
| Median age | 33.9 years | #113 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.86 | #121 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.6% | #130 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 75.0 years | #128 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 9.9% | #120 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Vietnam
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10–14 | 8,757,771 | 8.6% | 4.5M / 4.3M |
| 2 | 35–39 | 8,686,761 | 8.5% | 4.4M / 4.3M |
| 3 | 40–44 | 8,230,500 | 8.1% | 4.1M / 4.1M |
| 4 | 30–34 | 7,777,787 | 7.6% | 3.9M / 3.9M |
| 5 | 15–19 | 7,608,107 | 7.4% | 3.9M / 3.8M |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Vietnam has 50,037,614 males and 52,139,817 females. That is 96.0 males per 100 females, ranking #168 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.0% of the population and females for 51.0%. There are 2,102,203 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 64.6 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 110.1 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, above the biological norm of about 105 (see the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Vietnam has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 25,100,738 in 1950 to 102,177,431 in 2026, a change of 307%. Over the same span, median age moved from 23.1 to 33.9 years.
The under-15 share changed from 32.8% to 22.4%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 4.1% to 9.9%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately. See the Vietnam population pyramid in 1950 for the full starting shape.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Vietnam’s population is projected to grow by about 8%, reaching 110,008,908 in 2050. The median age changes from 33.9 to 40.2 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 10.1 percentage points to 20.0%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 17.0%. The Vietnam population pyramid for 2050 shows the projected shape in detail. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 110,018,019 in 2049. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 25,100,738 | 23.1 | 5.15 | 48.0 | 973,300 | 435,080 | 0 | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 32,531,933 | 20.2 | 6.27 | 58.0 | 1,352,973 | 397,696 | 0 | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 41,475,230 | 17.2 | 6.02 | 54.9 | 1,459,384 | 553,488 | +1,997 | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 52,490,101 | 18.4 | 4.79 | 65.3 | 1,758,376 | 436,760 | −74,791 | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 65,504,552 | 19.5 | 3.60 | 69.0 | 1,892,842 | 443,695 | −57,221 | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 77,154,011 | 22.7 | 2.03 | 72.7 | 1,390,170 | 423,243 | −144,298 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 87,455,152 | 27.2 | 1.91 | 73.6 | 1,522,480 | 516,931 | −4,443 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 98,079,191 | 31.0 | 1.96 | 75.4 | 1,494,146 | 570,112 | −6,457 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 100,352,192 | 32.4 | 1.91 | 74.6 | 1,387,961 | 659,980 | −81,789 | +0.6% |
| 2024* | 100,987,686 | 32.9 | 1.90 | 74.7 | 1,355,563 | 671,121 | −59,645 | +0.6% |
| 2026* | 102,177,431 | 33.9 | 1.86 | 75.0 | 1,307,471 | 695,501 | −51,045 | +0.6% |
| 2030* | 104,254,902 | 35.7 | 1.82 | 75.7 | 1,275,653 | 755,553 | −25,752 | +0.5% |
| 2040* | 108,437,634 | 38.2 | 1.77 | 77.3 | 1,312,471 | 952,236 | −36,057 | +0.3% |
| 2050* | 110,008,908 | 40.2 | 1.74 | 78.9 | 1,147,075 | 1,138,054 | −32,395 | -0.0% |
| 2060* | 108,396,977 | 43.6 | 1.73 | 80.5 | 1,034,841 | 1,260,494 | −25,037 | -0.2% |
| 2070* | 105,260,846 | 45.6 | 1.72 | 82.0 | 1,000,372 | 1,347,956 | −23,681 | -0.3% |
| 2080* | 101,038,822 | 46.3 | 1.71 | 83.4 | 906,189 | 1,342,275 | −26,608 | -0.5% |
| 2090* | 96,406,988 | 47.9 | 1.71 | 84.8 | 825,751 | 1,258,818 | −29,280 | -0.5% |
| 2100* | 91,705,108 | 49.3 | 1.70 | 86.1 | 782,956 | 1,254,422 | −27,263 | -0.5% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 3,537,336 | 3,208,139 | 6,745,475 | 6.6% |
| 5–9 | 3,859,840 | 3,562,765 | 7,422,605 | 7.3% |
| 10–14 | 4,473,347 | 4,284,424 | 8,757,771 | 8.6% |
| 15–19 | 3,857,577 | 3,750,530 | 7,608,107 | 7.4% |
| 20–24 | 3,323,744 | 3,305,500 | 6,629,244 | 6.5% |
| 25–29 | 3,169,089 | 3,145,336 | 6,314,425 | 6.2% |
| 30–34 | 3,880,173 | 3,897,614 | 7,777,787 | 7.6% |
| 35–39 | 4,352,548 | 4,334,213 | 8,686,761 | 8.5% |
| 40–44 | 4,100,044 | 4,130,456 | 8,230,500 | 8.1% |
| 45–49 | 3,366,947 | 3,472,229 | 6,839,176 | 6.7% |
| 50–54 | 3,047,216 | 3,178,675 | 6,225,891 | 6.1% |
| 55–59 | 2,706,218 | 2,949,325 | 5,655,543 | 5.5% |
| 60–64 | 2,390,309 | 2,770,659 | 5,160,968 | 5.1% |
| 65–69 | 1,773,792 | 2,342,359 | 4,116,151 | 4.0% |
| 70–74 | 1,139,297 | 1,633,511 | 2,772,808 | 2.7% |
| 75–79 | 623,181 | 1,037,151 | 1,660,332 | 1.6% |
| 80–84 | 269,670 | 560,585 | 830,255 | 0.8% |
| 85–89 | 121,564 | 348,663 | 470,227 | 0.5% |
| 90–94 | 39,589 | 172,761 | 212,350 | 0.2% |
| 95–99 | 5,740 | 47,373 | 53,113 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 394 | 7,553 | 7,947 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Vietnam’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Tunisia98% overlap · median age 33.4
- Azerbaijan97% overlap · median age 34.1
- Iran96% overlap · median age 34.5
- Turkey96% overlap · median age 33.9
- Brazil95% overlap · median age 35.2
- Indonesia95% overlap · median age 30.7
Compare Vietnam with other countries
Side-by-side pages put two pyramids on the same percentage scale, with a full indicator table and the projected change to 2050.
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Vietnam.
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Charts and tables may be reused with attribution. Please link to this page and credit the United Nations as the data source.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Vietnam Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/vietnam/
MLA
“Vietnam Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/vietnam/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Vietnam Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/vietnam/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Vietnam in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Vietnam's population in 2026 is projected at 102,177,431.
What is the median age in Vietnam?
The projected median age in Vietnam in 2026 is 33.9 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Vietnam?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.86 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Vietnam's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 8%, from 102.2M to 110M.
What share of Vietnam is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 9.9% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 20.0%.
How many babies are born in Vietnam each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 1,307,471 births and 695,501 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 24 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 611,970.
What is life expectancy in Vietnam for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 79.6 years for women and 70.4 years for men, a gap of 9.2 years in favour of women.
Does Vietnam have more immigrants or emigrants?
Vietnam is projected to lose about 51,045 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +598,427.
What is the sex ratio in Vietnam?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 96.0 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.