Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Vietnam fits inside Russia 52 times
Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 11 times as long as Vietnam’s
Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 2,498 m above Vietnam’s
Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 39% of Vietnam, versus 13% of Russia
Russia: 13.2% (2024) · Vietnam: 39.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 41% more people than Vietnam
Russia: 144 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Vietnam is 37 times as densely populated as Russia
Russia: 9 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 7.8 cm taller than in Vietnam
Russia: 176.7 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 6.1 cm taller than in Vietnam
Russia: 164.5 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Russia is 7 years older than in Vietnam
Russia: 39.5 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vietnam have 0.5 more children on average than in Russia
Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024) · Vietnam: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Russia are 65 or older, versus 9.5% in Vietnam
Russia: 17.8% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Russia hosts 643 times as many refugees per resident as Vietnam
Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.00013 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Vietnam 0.1
Russia: 2 (2026) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Russia and Vietnam are practically level
Russia: 1 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 5 times the size of Vietnam’s
Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Russia produces 2.7 times as much per person as Vietnam
Russia: Int$49,568 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Vietnam than in Russia (Gini 3.1 points higher)
Russia: 33 (2023) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
1.6% of people in Vietnam live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in Russia
Russia: 0.1% (2023) · Vietnam: 1.6% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 2.1% in Russia, versus 1.5% in Vietnam
Russia: 2.1% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.5% of its GDP on the military, Vietnam 2.2%
Russia: 7.5% (2025) · Vietnam: 2.2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Russia: 10.9% (2024) · Vietnam: no data
How expensive is it?
Russia’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Vietnam’s
Russia: 35% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Russia spends 5.1 times as much on health per person as Vietnam
Russia: $1,003 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Vietnam live 1.3 years longer than in Russia
Russia: 73.4 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Vietnam is 2.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in Russia
Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 4.6 times as many doctors per person as Vietnam
Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
Russia has 2.7 times as many hospital beds per person as Vietnam
Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Vietnam: 2.5 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 2 times that in Vietnam
Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam
Russia: 21.2% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 21% in Vietnam
Russia: 27% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Vietnam rate their lives 0.59 points higher than in Russia
Russia: 5.83 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vietnam drink 3% more alcohol than in Russia
Russia: 10.4 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 40% more meat per person than Vietnam
Russia: 84.8 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 442 kcal more food per person per day than Vietnam
Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Vietnam put in 74 more hours a year than in Russia
Russia: 2,087 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Russia went to school 3.4 years longer than in Vietnam
Russia: 12.4 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Russia: no data · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
How many World Heritage sites?
Russia has 24 more World Heritage sites than Vietnam (33 against 9)
Russia: 33 (2026) · Vietnam: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Russia has won 539 Olympic medals, Vietnam 5
Russia: 539 (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 5 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 84% in Vietnam
Russia: 94% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Russia: no data · Vietnam: 244 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Russia and Vietnam are practically level
Russia: 100% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Russia live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam
Russia: 75% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam 128
Russia: 186 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 27 times as long as Vietnam’s
Russia: 85,544 km (2021) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Russia fly 27% more passengers per resident than those from Vietnam
Russia: 0.69 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 51% of Russia, but only 47% of Vietnam
Russia: 50.8% (2024) · Vietnam: 47.1% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 3.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Vietnam
Russia: 12.3 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
45% of Vietnam’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
Russia: 17.4% (2025) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vietnam carries 2 times as much fine dust as in Russia
Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024) · Vietnam: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vietnam are 37% deadlier than in Russia
Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 18.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Vietnam is on average 26.9 °C warmer than Russia
Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vietnam gets 3.6 times as much rain as Russia
Russia: 586 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 Russia bigger than Vietnam?
Russia is larger. Vietnam fits inside Russia 52 times.
Which has more people, Russia or Vietnam?
Russia has 41% more people than Vietnam (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Russia or Vietnam?
People in Vietnam live 1.3 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years in Russia and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in Russia or Vietnam?
Men in Russia are 7.8 cm taller than in Vietnam (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
