Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside Vietnam 3.6 times.
Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Vietnam’s coastline is 92% longer than Portugal’s.
Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vietnam’s highest peak towers 793 m above Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vietnam has 9.4 times as many people as Portugal.
Portugal: 10.8 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Vietnam is 2.7 times as densely populated as Portugal.
Portugal: 118 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Portugal are 5.5 cm taller than in Vietnam.
Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Portugal are 2.8 cm taller than in Vietnam.
Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 14 years older than in Vietnam.
Portugal: 46.2 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vietnam have 0.5 more children on average than in Portugal.
Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024) · Vietnam: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 9.5% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 24.9% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Portugal has produced 1.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Vietnam 0.1.
Portugal: 1.9 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Portugal and Vietnam are practically level.
Portugal: 1 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Vietnam’s economy is 48% larger than Portugal’s.
Portugal: $347 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Portugal produces 2.9 times as much per person as Vietnam.
Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Vietnam than in Portugal (Gini 2.2 points higher).
Portugal: 33.9 (2023) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.2% in Portugal, versus 1.5% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 6.2% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Vietnam and Portugal are practically level.
Portugal: 1.5% (2024) · Vietnam: 1.8% (2018)
How expensive is it?
Portugal’s price level (US = 100) is 2.2× Vietnam’s.
Portugal: 60% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Portugal spends 15 times as much on health per person as Vietnam.
Portugal: $2,971 (2024) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Portugal live 7.6 years longer than in Vietnam.
Portugal: 82.4 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Vietnam is 4.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in Portugal.
Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 5.3 times as many doctors per person as Vietnam.
Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 23% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 21% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 28.6% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Vietnam rate their lives 0.40 points higher than in Portugal.
Portugal: 6.03 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 28% more alcohol than in Vietnam.
Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 64% more meat per person than Vietnam.
Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 467 kcal more food per person per day than Vietnam.
Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Vietnam put in 426 more hours a year than in Portugal.
Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Portugal went to school 0.72 years longer than in Vietnam.
Portugal: 9.7 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 33 times as many tourists per resident as Vietnam (2019).
Portugal: 2.71 (2024) · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
88% of people in Portugal are online, versus 84% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 88% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Portugal and Vietnam are practically level.
Portugal: 100% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
61% of people in Portugal live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 61% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vietnam has 128 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
Portugal: 124 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Vietnam’s railway network is 25% longer than Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,527 km (2021) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 3.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from Vietnam.
Portugal: 1.69 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Vietnam, but only 36% of Portugal.
Portugal: 36.2% (2023) · Vietnam: 47.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Vietnam emits 8% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
Portugal: 3.4 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 45% in Vietnam.
Portugal: 81% (2025) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vietnam carries 2.4 times as much fine dust as in Portugal.
Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022) · Vietnam: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vietnam are 2.5 times as deadly as in Portugal.
Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021) · Vietnam: 17.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Vietnam is on average 8.5 °C warmer than Portugal.
Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vietnam gets 2.7 times as much rain as Portugal.
Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Portugal bigger than Vietnam?
Vietnam is larger. Portugal fits inside Vietnam 3.6 times.
Which has more people, Portugal or Vietnam?
Vietnam has 9.4 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Portugal or Vietnam?
People in Portugal live 7.6 years longer than in Vietnam. Life expectancy at birth is 82.4 years in Portugal and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in Portugal or Vietnam?
Men in Portugal are 5.5 cm taller than in Vietnam (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).