Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Vietnam is 10% bigger than the Philippines.
Philippines: 300,000 km² (2023) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Philippines’ coastline is 11 times as long as Vietnam’s.
Philippines: 36,289 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vietnam’s highest peak towers 190 m above the Philippines’.
Philippines: 2,954 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Philippines has 15% more people than Vietnam.
Philippines: 117 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Philippines is 21% more densely populated than Vietnam.
Philippines: 392 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Vietnam are 3.7 cm taller than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 165.2 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Vietnam are 4.3 cm taller than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 154.1 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Vietnam is 7.1 years older than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 25.3 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Vietnam and the Philippines are practically level.
Philippines: 1.89 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 5.7% in the Philippines.
Philippines: 5.7% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Vietnam has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the Philippines 0.1.
Philippines: 0.1 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
The Philippines has 2 official languages, Vietnam 1.
Philippines: 2 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Vietnam’s economy is 6% larger than the Philippines’.
Philippines: $487 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Vietnam produces 44% more per person than the Philippines.
Philippines: Int$12,577 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the Philippines than in Vietnam (Gini 3.2 points higher).
Philippines: 39.3 (2023) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 2.2% in the Philippines, versus 1.5% in Vietnam.
Philippines: 2.2% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Vietnam and the Philippines are practically level.
Philippines: 1.3% (2024) · Vietnam: 1.8% (2018)
How expensive is it?
The Philippines’ price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Vietnam’s.
Philippines: 33% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Vietnam spends 2% more on health per person than the Philippines.
Philippines: $194 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Vietnam live 4.8 years longer than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 69.9 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Philippines is 81% more likely to die before turning one than in Vietnam.
Philippines: 21.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Vietnam has 40% more doctors per person than the Philippines.
Philippines: 0.8 per 1,000 (2021) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
9.7% of adults in the Philippines are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam.
Philippines: 9.7% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Vietnam smoke, versus 20% in the Philippines.
Philippines: 19.9% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Vietnam rate their lives 0.22 points higher than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 6.21 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vietnam drink 76% more alcohol than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 6.1 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Vietnam has 80% more meat per person than the Philippines.
Philippines: 33.6 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Vietnam has 103 kcal more food per person per day than the Philippines.
Philippines: 2,983 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Vietnam put in 65 more hours a year than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 2,096 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Philippines went to school 1 year longer than in Vietnam.
Philippines: 10 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Vietnam welcomed 3.5 times as many tourists per resident as the Philippines (2019).
Philippines: 0.02 (2022) · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
84% of people in Vietnam are online, versus 67% in the Philippines.
Philippines: 67% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Vietnam have electricity, versus 95% in the Philippines.
Philippines: 94.8% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
56% of people in the Philippines live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam.
Philippines: 56% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vietnam has 128 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Philippines 115.
Philippines: 115 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Vietnam’s railway network is 6.2 times as long as the Philippines’.
Philippines: 509 km (2016) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Vietnam fly 53% more passengers per resident than those from the Philippines.
Philippines: 0.36 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Vietnam, but only 24% of the Philippines.
Philippines: 24.5% (2023) · Vietnam: 47.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Vietnam emits 2.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in the Philippines.
Philippines: 1.5 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
45% of Vietnam’s electricity is renewable, versus 23% in the Philippines.
Philippines: 23.3% (2025) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vietnam carries 11% more fine dust than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 23.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Philippines: 4.3 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vietnam are 82% deadlier than in the Philippines.
Philippines: 9.7 per 100k (2021) · Vietnam: 17.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Philippines is on average 2.0 °C warmer than Vietnam.
Philippines: 26.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Philippines gets 41% more rain than Vietnam.
Philippines: 3,001 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Philippines bigger than Vietnam?
Vietnam is larger. Vietnam is 10% bigger than the Philippines.
Which has more people, the Philippines or Vietnam?
The Philippines has 15% more people than Vietnam (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Philippines or Vietnam?
People in Vietnam live 4.8 years longer than in the Philippines. Life expectancy at birth is 69.9 years in the Philippines and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in the Philippines or Vietnam?
Men in Vietnam are 3.7 cm taller than in the Philippines (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
