Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Guatemala fits inside Vietnam 3 times
Guatemala: 108,889 km² (2024) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Vietnam’s coastline is 8.6 times as long as Guatemala’s
Guatemala: 400 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Guatemala’s highest peak towers 1,076 m above Vietnam’s
Guatemala: 4,220 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 46% of Guatemala, versus 39% of Vietnam
Guatemala: 46% (2024) · Vietnam: 39.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vietnam has 5.4 times as many people as Guatemala
Guatemala: 18.7 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Vietnam is 86% more densely populated than Guatemala
Guatemala: 174 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Vietnam are 4.5 cm taller than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 164.4 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Vietnam are 7.5 cm taller than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 150.9 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Vietnam is 9.8 years older than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 22.6 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Guatemala have 0.4 more children on average than in Vietnam
Guatemala: 2.29 children per woman (2024) · Vietnam: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
9.5% of people in Vietnam are 65 or older, versus 5.0% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 5% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Guatemala hosts 663 times as many refugees per resident as Vietnam
Guatemala: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.00013 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Guatemala has produced 1.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Vietnam 0.1
Guatemala: 1.1 (2026) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Guatemala and Vietnam are practically level
Guatemala: 1 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Vietnam’s economy is 4.2 times the size of Guatemala’s
Guatemala: $123 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Vietnam produces 19% more per person than Guatemala
Guatemala: Int$15,197 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Guatemala than in Vietnam (Gini 9.1 points higher)
Guatemala: 45.2 (2023) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
9.7% of people in Guatemala live on less than $3 a day, versus 1.6% in Vietnam
Guatemala: 9.7% (2023) · Vietnam: 1.6% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 2.6% in Guatemala, versus 1.5% in Vietnam
Guatemala: 2.6% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Vietnam spends 2.2% of its GDP on the military, Guatemala 0.5%
Guatemala: 0.5% (2025) · Vietnam: 2.2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Guatemala: 11.6% (2024) · Vietnam: no data
How expensive is it?
Guatemala’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× Vietnam’s
Guatemala: 43% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Guatemala spends 2 times as much on health per person as Vietnam
Guatemala: $392 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Vietnam live 2 years longer than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 72.7 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Guatemala is 43% more likely to die before turning one than in Vietnam
Guatemala: 17.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Guatemala has 16% more doctors per person than Vietnam
Guatemala: 1.3 per 1,000 (2020) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
Vietnam has 5.6 times as many hospital beds per person as Guatemala
Guatemala: 0.5 per 1,000 (2023) · Vietnam: 2.5 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Vietnam is 82% higher than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 5.5 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
27% of adults in Guatemala are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam
Guatemala: 26.7% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Vietnam smoke, versus 11% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 11.2% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Guatemala rate their lives 0.11 points higher than in Vietnam
Guatemala: 6.53 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vietnam drink 3.5 times as much alcohol as in Guatemala
Guatemala: 3.1 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Vietnam has 11% more meat per person than Guatemala
Guatemala: 54.3 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Vietnam has 263 kcal more food per person per day than Guatemala
Guatemala: 2,823 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Vietnam and Guatemala are practically level
Guatemala: 2,151 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Vietnam went to school 3.1 years longer than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 5.8 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Guatemala welcomed 3% more tourists per resident than Vietnam (2019)
Guatemala: 0.08 (2022) · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
How many World Heritage sites?
Vietnam has 5 more World Heritage sites than Guatemala (9 against 4)
Guatemala: 4 (2026) · Vietnam: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Vietnam has won 5 Olympic medals, Guatemala 3
Guatemala: 3 (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 5 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
84% of people in Vietnam are online, versus 60% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 60% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Vietnam is 64% faster than in Guatemala
Guatemala: 149 Mbps (2026) · Vietnam: 244 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Vietnam have electricity, versus 91% in Guatemala
Guatemala: 90.9% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
56% of people in Guatemala live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam
Guatemala: 56% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vietnam has 128 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Guatemala 113
Guatemala: 113 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Vietnam’s railway network is 3.9 times as long as Guatemala’s
Guatemala: 800 km (2018) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Vietnam fly 46 times as many passengers per resident as those from Guatemala
Guatemala: 0.01 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Vietnam, but only 33% of Guatemala
Guatemala: 33.1% (2024) · Vietnam: 47.1% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Vietnam emits 3.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Guatemala
Guatemala: 1.1 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Guatemala’s electricity is renewable, versus 45% in Vietnam
Guatemala: 68.3% (2024) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Guatemala carries 8% more fine dust than in Vietnam
Guatemala: 27.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Guatemala: 23.4 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Guatemala are 15% deadlier than in Vietnam
Guatemala: 21.1 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 18.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Vietnam is on average 0.7 °C warmer than Guatemala
Guatemala: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vietnam gets 18% more rain than Guatemala
Guatemala: 1,811 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Guatemala bigger than Vietnam?
Vietnam is larger. Guatemala fits inside Vietnam 3 times.
Which has more people, Guatemala or Vietnam?
Vietnam has 5.4 times as many people as Guatemala (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Guatemala or Vietnam?
People in Vietnam live 2 years longer than in Guatemala. Life expectancy at birth is 72.7 years in Guatemala and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in Guatemala or Vietnam?
Men in Vietnam are 4.5 cm taller than in Guatemala (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).