How much coast is there?

Malaysia’s coastline is 36% longer than Vietnam’s.

Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Malaysia’s highest peak towers 951 m above Vietnam’s.

Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)

How many people live there?

Vietnam has 2.8 times as many people as Malaysia.

Malaysia: 36 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

Vietnam is 3 times as densely populated as Malaysia.

Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in Vietnam is 2.4 years older than in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in Vietnam have 0.4 more children on average than in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 1.54 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 8.0% in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 8% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

Vietnam has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia 0.0.

Malaysia: 0 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2025)

How many official languages?

Malaysia has 2 official languages, Vietnam 1.

Malaysia: 2 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)

How big is the economy?

Vietnam’s economy is 9% larger than Malaysia’s.

Malaysia: $472 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

Malaysia produces 2.3 times as much per person as Vietnam.

Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Vietnam (Gini 4.6 points higher).

Malaysia: 40.7 (2021) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 3.8% in Malaysia, versus 1.5% in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 3.8% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

Vietnam spends 1.8% of its GDP on the military, Malaysia 1.0%.

Malaysia: 1% (2024) · Vietnam: 1.8% (2018)

How expensive is it?

Malaysia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Vietnam’s.

Malaysia: 32% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)

How much is spent on health?

Malaysia spends 2.3 times as much on health per person as Vietnam.

Malaysia: $450 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in Vietnam is 71% more likely to die before turning one than in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

Malaysia has 2.1 times as many doctors per person as Vietnam.

Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)

How common is obesity?

24% of adults in Malaysia are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 23.6% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

21% of adults in Vietnam smoke, versus 17% in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 16.9% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)

How do people rate their lives?

People in Vietnam rate their lives 0.42 points higher than in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 6.01 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in Vietnam drink 13 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

Malaysia has 14% more meat per person than Vietnam.

Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

Vietnam has 160 kcal more food per person per day than Malaysia.

Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

Workers in Malaysia put in 147 more hours a year than in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in Malaysia went to school 2.1 years longer than in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Malaysia welcomed 3.6 times as many tourists per resident as Vietnam (2019).

Malaysia: 0.29 (2022) · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)

How many people are online?

98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 84% in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 98% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)

Who has electricity at home?

Malaysia and Vietnam are practically level.

Malaysia: 100% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)

How many live in cities?

77% of people in Malaysia live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 77% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)

How many phones per person?

Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam 128.

Malaysia: 140 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)

How much railway is there?

Vietnam’s railway network is 91% longer than Malaysia’s.

Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)

How much do they fly?

Airlines from Malaysia fly 2.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Vietnam.

Malaysia: 1.3 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)

How much of the land is forest?

Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 47% of Vietnam.

Malaysia: 57.7% (2023) · Vietnam: 47.4% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in Malaysia emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Vietnam.

Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

45% of Vietnam’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 20.7% (2025) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)

How clean is the air?

The air in Vietnam carries 67% more fine dust than in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)

How common is murder?

Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: no data

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in Vietnam are 27% deadlier than in Malaysia.

Malaysia: 13.9 per 100k (2021) · Vietnam: 17.7 per 100k (2021)

How warm is it?

Malaysia is on average 1.6 °C warmer than Vietnam.

Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

Malaysia gets 45% more rain than Vietnam.

Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)