Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
Vietnam at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
45%
of electricity
Food imported
9%
of merchandise imports · ~US$39,928m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About Vietnam.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see Vietnam, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
Low diabetes, but 10.8 million adults with prediabetes
The IDF puts diabetes in Vietnamese adults at 3.4% in 2024, with 37.8% of cases undiagnosed. But 15.4% of adults, about 10.8 million people, had impaired glucose tolerance, a stage that often leads to diabetes.
Source: IDF Diabetes Atlas, Viet Nam country page (2025 edition) · 2024
SoberingHealth
About 274,000 births touched by high blood sugar
The IDF estimates that about 274,100 live births in Vietnam were affected by high blood sugar in pregnancy in 2024, and puts the prevalence of gestational diabetes at 21.0%.
Source: IDF Diabetes Atlas, Viet Nam country page (2025 edition) · 2024
SoberingEnvironment
Air pollution is linked to 70,000 deaths a year
WHO Viet Nam says at least 70,000 deaths each year in the country are related to air pollution, citing the State of Global Air 2024 report.
Source: WHO Viet Nam, Air pollution · 2024
SoberingFood
Stunting and obesity in the same generation
UNICEF says 1.8 million Vietnamese children under five are stunted and more than 200,000 suffer severe wasting each year. At the same time, nearly one in five children and adolescents are overweight or obese.
Source: UNICEF Viet Nam, Nutrition · 2026
RemarkableEconomy
From under $500 a head to over $5,000
The World Bank says Vietnam's GDP per person rose from under $500 in 1986 to $5,066 in 2025. Nearly all households have had electricity since 2019, up from 14% in 1993.
Source: World Bank, Viet Nam overview · 2025
RemarkableCulture
17 traditions on UNESCO's intangible heritage lists
Vietnam has 17 elements on UNESCO's intangible heritage lists, from court music Nha nhac (2008) to Dong Ho folk woodblock printing (2025). Three, including Ca tru singing, are on the list needing urgent safeguarding.
Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Viet Nam country page · 2025
Worth knowingNature
Likely the largest cave passage in the world
Hang Son Doong in central Vietnam was first entered by a British led expedition in 2009, guided by local man Ho Khanh, who had found the entrance years earlier. National Geographic called it very likely the largest cave passage in the world, with ceilings in places over 600 feet high.
Worth knowingNature
The saola, a mammal science only met in the 1990s
The saola, a forest bovine of the Annamite mountains, was first described by science in 1993. The most recent confirmed record in the wild is a 2013 camera trap image from central Vietnam.
The History of Vietnam.
Vietnam sustains an unusually rich living heritage, with 17 elements on UNESCO’s intangible heritage lists. They include Nha nhac Hue royal court music, Ca tru sung poetry, Quan ho love duets and southern Don ca tai tu music and song.
Where the name comes from
Việt Nam, from Việt, the people, and Nam, south. The order and the form have shifted over the centuries; the modern usage dates from the nineteenth. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: low, flat delta in the north and south, central highlands between them, and hilly, mountainous country through the far north west. Its high point is Fansipan, 3,147 m. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
Where it starts
The bronze drums of Dong Son
Rock shelters in the north hold the first traces of people in Vietnam, with hand-axes, pebble tools and flake tools. Hoa Binh culture sites, mostly in limestone caves, date from about 18,000 to 7,000 years ago. Around 4,000 years ago the Phung Nguyen culture of Phu Tho opened the Bronze Age, with jade jewellery and pottery made on a wheel. Between about 2,500 and 2,000 years ago the Dong Son culture reached a very high level of bronze casting, best known from its famous bronze drums.
How it got here
A thousand years, then another
Northern Vietnam was ruled from the north for more than a thousand years, until Ngo Quyen’s victory over the Southern Han on the Bach Dang river in 938. The Champa kingdom held central Vietnam from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan, leaving terracotta temples and stone inscriptions. Vietnam was unified under the Nguyen in 1802 with the capital at Hue. French forces fired their first shot in 1858, and colonial rule ended after the victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Vietnam was reunified in 1975 after nearly three decades of war.
The timeline
Palaeolithic
Son Vi and the northern caves.
Rock shelters in the north hold the first traces of people in Vietnam, with pebble tools at Son Vi in Phu Tho and flake tools at Mai Da Nguom in Thai Nguyen. Source
c. 18,000 to 7,000 years ago
The Hoabinhian.
Hoa Binh culture sites, mostly in limestone caves, hold pebble tools, hearths, tombs and the bones and shells left by people who hunted, fished and gathered. Source
c. 4,000 years ago
Phung Nguyen.
The Phung Nguyen culture, named after a site in Phu Tho province, is the first Bronze Age culture in Vietnam, known for fine jewellery of nephrite and jade and pottery made on a wheel. Source
c. 2,500 to 2,000 years ago
Dong Son.
The Dong Son culture, first found in 1924 on the Ma River in Thanh Hoa, reaches a very high level of bronze casting, best known from its famous bronze drums. Source
Until AD 938
A thousand years of Chinese rule.
Northern Vietnam is ruled from the north for more than a thousand years, until Ngo Quyen defeats the Southern Han on the Bach Dang river in 938. Source
AD 192 to 1832
Champa.
The Champa kingdom holds central Vietnam, from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan, leaving terracotta temples, stone inscriptions and fine sculpture. Source
1802
Nguyen dynasty.
The Nguyen dynasty begins, and Hue is made the capital of a unified Vietnam. Source
1858 to 1954
French rule.
French forces fire their first shot in 1858 and go on to occupy Vietnam. Colonial rule ends after a nine-year resistance war is won at Dien Bien Phu on 7 May 1954. Source
1975
Reunification.
Vietnam is reunified in 1975 with the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, after nine years of war against France and twenty more against the United States. Source
Vietnam National Museum of History, Hanoi · Vietnam National Museum of History, The Dong Son culture · Vietnam Institute of Archaeology · Vietnam National Museum of History, The struggles for independence, 1858 to 1945 · UNESCO World Heritage, Complex of Hue Monuments · Vietnam National Museum of History, Ngo Quyen and the Bach Dang victory of 938 · Vietnam National Museum of History, Champa stone sculptures · Vietnam National Museum of History, Paleolithic period · Vietnam National Museum of History, Neolithic period · Vietnam National Museum of History, Pre-Dong Son cultures · Vietnam National Museum of History, Objects illustrating the Dien Bien Phu victory
Nature and Biodiversity in Vietnam.
Only about 7.6% of land and 0.5% of seas are protected (World Bank, 2025), and enforcement is weak. Industrial scale snaring and the wildlife trade have hollowed out even protected forests, a problem conservationists call empty forest syndrome.
Is wild Vietnam protected? 7.6% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Vietnam?
Forest cover47.4%
Terrestrial protected area7.6%
Marine protected area0.5%
1053 listed as threatened.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · GBIF occurrence data · IUCN Red List, threatened species by country (Summary Statistics, Table 5) · World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters): Viet Nam · World Bank (IUCN data), Plant species (higher), threatened: Viet Nam · World Bank (IUCN data), Fish species, threatened: Viet Nam · World Bank (IUCN data), Mammal species, threatened: Viet Nam · World Bank (IUCN data), Bird species, threatened: Viet Nam
Found only here. The saola, grey shanked douc, Cat Ba langur and Delacour's langur
The watchlist
ThreatenedDove Langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedCrested Argus (Rheinardia ocellata) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedCommon thread turtle (Mauremys sinensis) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedSiamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedBlack-shanked Douc (Pygathrix nigripes) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedDelacour s Langur (Trachypithecus delacouri) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedGray-shanked Douc (Pygathrix cinerea) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedJavan Pangolin (Manis javanica) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Dove Langur (Pygathrix nemaeus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Vietnam. GBIF holds 203 verified occurrence records.
Crested Argus (Rheinardia ocellata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Vietnam. GBIF holds 5 verified occurrence records.
Common thread turtle (Mauremys sinensis)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Vietnam. GBIF holds 24 verified occurrence records.
Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Vietnam. GBIF holds 64 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Vietnam filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in Quảng Trị Province, mapped and named in the open record for Vietnam. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Đồng Nai, mapped and named in the open record for Vietnam. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Phú Thọ Province, mapped and named in the open record for Vietnam. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Ninh Bình Province, mapped and named in the open record for Vietnam. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Thái Nguyên Province, mapped and named in the open record for Vietnam. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Lào Cai Province, mapped and named in the open record for Vietnam. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Vietnam.
Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink. The Mekong Delta, the country's rice bowl, faces worsening saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and reduced flows from upstream dams.
Does Vietnam have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
58.6% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: The Phong Nha rivers and the Con Dao islands
How much fresh water does Vietnam have, per person?
3,606 m³
Vietnam
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Vietnam withdraws about 81,862 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 18.1% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as low water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 95%, homes and towns 1%, industry 4%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Vietnam beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✕Plastic rules: National plastic waste action plan with reduction targets; no comprehensive ban yet.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 0.5% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: My Khe Beach and Non Nuoc Beach (Da Nang), Cua Dai Beach (Hoi An), Ky Co Beach (Quy Nhon), Doc Let Beach (Khanh Hoa), Sao Beach (Phu Quoc), Do Son Beach (Hai Phong), Tra Co Beach (Mong Cai). These are among more than 100 named beaches in the public record for Vietnam, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
45.4%
of people have safely managed sanitation
45.4% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Vietnam doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
North has four seasons; the centre has a distinct storm window Sep–Nov; the south is wet May–Oct.
Nearshore
Protected water
0.5% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The Phong Nha rivers and the Con Dao islands.
The record
Measured
Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink. The Mekong Delta, the country's rice bowl, faces worsening saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and reduced flows from upstream dams.
Vietnam scored 72 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, level with the global average of 72, and ranked 110th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
0.5%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
563 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in Vietnam?
58.6% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 3,606 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 2 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 18.1% of what Vietnam renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Vietnam? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does Vietnam actually have?
Nature renews about 3,606 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Vietnam 119 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in Vietnam.
Vietnam is a major rice producer and exporter, harvesting about 43.5 million tonnes of paddy in 2025 and forecast to export 7.9 million tonnes of rice in 2026, mostly grown in the Mekong and Red River deltas. Wheat is not grown, and cereal imports, largely maize and wheat for animal feed and food, are well above average.
Where does the food in Vietnam come from?
8.8% imported
about US$39,928m a year
On the plate: Rice, fresh herbs and greens, tofu, morning glory, noodles and tropical fruit
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$39,928m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 8.8% of everything Vietnam imports (2023, World Bank). Farming itself is 11.6% of the economy and 39.2% of the land is agricultural, of which 21.5% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Vietnam? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined78.2%
Diabetes3.4%
There is no published national count. Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City wrote in 2023 that the rate of lower limb amputation among their diabetic foot ulcer patients, particularly above the ankle, reaches 50 per cent; of 57 patients who lost part of a limb there between 2018 and 2020, 29.8 per cent had a new ulcer within two years. At the Institute of Maritime Medicine in Hai Phong, 11.7 per cent of diabetic foot ulcer patients on standard care had an amputation between 2021 and 2023. Source: Health Services Insights, 2023.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 18.2%.
Can Vietnam feed itself?
21.5%
Arable land
39.2%
Agricultural land
14,285,083
Farmers
16,626,411
Arable acres
11.6%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Two to three rice harvests a year; the northern terraces turn gold in September to October
Feeding itself
Vietnam is one of the world's top three rice exporters and an agricultural powerhouse, with intensive smallholder farming of rice, vegetables, coffee, fruit and aquaculture. It is strongly self sufficient in staples and food import dependence is low.
Certification
Certified organic farmland is about 0.5% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020). A participatory guarantee system for organic produce is growing around the cities, but certified area remains small.
Water for crops
Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink. The Mekong Delta, the country's rice bowl, faces worsening saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and reduced flows from upstream dams.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 39.2% of the country is agricultural land and 21.5% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
RiceVegetablesSugarcaneCassavaMaizeFruitsBananasCoconutsCoffee
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Vietnam are rice, sugarcane, cassava and maize (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho, where farmers sell fruit and produce from boats from about 4.30 to 8 in the morning; Tân Định Market on Hai Ba Trung in Ho Chi Minh City, a morning market for vegetables and just picked produce; Con Market on Ong Ich Khiem Street in Da Nang, packed with food vendors from morning until dusk; and Han Market by the Han River in Da Nang, in use since the 1940s. Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel).
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: 2 Roots Plant-Based Café, vegan cafe in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City: smoothie bowls, salads, a falafel bowl and brunch; IVEGAN Supershop Ben Thanh, vegan cafe in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City: Buddha bowls, pizzas and cold pressed juices; An Nhien, vegan restaurant and organic grocery in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City: rice dishes, spring rolls and salads; An Hoa, vegan stall in Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City: one dish only, bánh cuốn chay, made fresh in the morning; AN LẠC, vegan restaurant in an old Buddhist temple in District 6, Ho Chi Minh City: cơm chay and hủ tiếu. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in Vietnam?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
RiceFresh herbsGreensTofuMorning gloryNoodlesTropical fruit
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · HappyCow, Ho Chi Minh City vegan and vegetarian listings · Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Can Tho: A glimpse of river and garden · Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, The perfect weekend in HCMC · Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Da Nang: Eat, Play, Relax · Health Services Insights 2023, The High Re-Ulceration Rate in Lower Extremity Amputation Intervention in Type 2 Diabetic Vietnamese Patients After 24-Month Follow-Up at Cho Ray Hospital · International Maritime Health 2025, Results of treating patients with diabetic foot ulcers with hyperbaric oxygen · FAO GIEWS, Country Brief, Viet Nam
Climate and Energy in Vietnam.
Vietnam's low emissions belie a coal-heavy grid: coal supplies close to half of electricity, though a rapid solar boom (over 18 GW installed) and large hydropower push low-carbon sources to more than a third of generation. Territorial CO2 emissions are about 3.67 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average. The country has pledged net zero by 2050 and signed a Just Energy Transition Partnership mobilising an initial 15.5 billion US dollars to move away from coal and cap coal capacity. Genuine ambition and strong renewables potential are offset by continued coal reliance, keeping the score in the moderate band.
What powers Vietnam?
Renewable 45.4%Fossil 54.6%
Vietnam Electricity (EVN), a state owned enterprise, is the main buyer of power and holds a monopoly on transmission and distribution. Its subsidiary the National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) is the only transmission company and runs the entire high voltage grid. Since August 2024 the job of running the system and the power market has sat with a separate state owned company, the National Electricity System and Market Operation Company (NSMO), split out of EVN. The Electricity Authority of Vietnam sets up and oversees the power market. The 2024 Electricity Law, in force from early 2025, and the revised power plan now allow private and foreign investors to own transmission and substation assets, though the US Commerce Department says investors are still waiting for clearer licensing and grid access rules.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
4.27 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
4.27 tonnes
The grid
Vietnam's low emissions belie a coal-heavy grid: coal supplies close to half of electricity, though a rapid solar boom (over 18 GW installed) and large hydropower push low-carbon sources to more than a third of generation. Territorial CO2 emissions are about 3.67 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average.
Pollution
Air pollution is a real problem, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 25 micrograms per cubic metre nationally and far higher in Hanoi during winter (World Bank, 2023). Vietnam is also among the largest emitters of ocean plastic; it has a national plastic action plan with reduction targets, but enforcement is limited and single use plastic is pervasive.
Water stress
Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink. The Mekong Delta, the country's rice bowl, faces worsening saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and reduced flows from upstream dams.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.58.8%
2Industry Urban traffic smog in Hanoi and coastal industrial zones.named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.24.8
4On the record Air pollution is a real problem, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 25 micrograms per cubic metre nationally and far higher in Hanoi during winter (World Bank, 2023).
What has Vietnam promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today41.2% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target7.6% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target0.5% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in policy document; in political pledge. Measured against it, 41.2% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 58.8% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year4.27 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.37 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy2.22 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.78 t CO2e
London return, economy1.67 t CO2e
Paris return, economy1.65 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Vietnam emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. In October 2020 Vietnam signed an emission reductions payment agreement with the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility worth up to US$51.5 million for cutting 10.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in six North Central provinces. The World Bank said Vietnam was the first country in Asia Pacific, and the fifth in the world, to reach such an agreement. Vietnam cut 16.2 million tonnes in 2018 and 2019, and in March 2024 received the full US$51.5 million, which the bank calls the largest single payment the facility has made anywhere for verified emission reductions. In December 2022 Vietnam agreed a Just Energy Transition Partnership with a group of rich countries led by the EU and UK, with US$15.5 billion of public and private finance committed. Projects under it in May 2025 included a EUR 67 million French loan to EVNNPT for 500 kV lines and up to EUR 480 million for a 1,200 MW pumped storage plant in Ninh Thuan.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · US International Trade Administration, Vietnam Country Commercial Guide: Power generation, transmission and distribution (March 2026) · Chambers and Partners, Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 2026: Vietnam · World Bank, Vietnam signs landmark deal with World Bank to cut carbon emissions and reduce deforestation (22 October 2020) · World Bank, Viet Nam leads in forest protection through innovative carbon program (23 August 2024) · UK Government, Statement: UK and EU welcome Viet Nam JETP progress (29 May 2025)
AI and Data Centres in Vietnam.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Vietnam.
Data centres
15
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
45.4 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Vietnam?
Most of the power behind a machine here is still burned.
Renewable 45.4%Fossil 54.6%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 41.2% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Vietnam has 15 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Hanoi (7), Ho Chi Minh (4), Ho Chi Minh City (3), alongside 4 internet exchanges (VNIX-HCM, VNIX-HN, VNIX-DN, NobiDev IX). Named sites include Telehouse, Hanoi, VNIX-HN, VNIX-HCM, VNIX-DN.
Where the cables land. 3 landing points · Danang, Quy Nhon, Vung Tau
Economy and Tourism in Vietnam.
85% residents to 15% visitors across a year. 18,009,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 101,598,527 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Vietnam
3,837k
Visitors a year
0.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Vietnam?· for every $100 Vietnam earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2016 peak
$ 48The worst year on the IMF record. Vietnam owed $48 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2016signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 30What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 27The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $27 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Vietnam earns in a year, it owes $30 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Vietnam?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 18,009,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 101,598,527 residents, one visitor a year for every 6 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Vietnam is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 8.8% of everything Vietnam imports (2023, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, rice, vegetables, sugarcane, cassava, maize, fruits, bananas, coconuts, coffee, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
41.2% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power stay inside Vietnam. This is not an economy where a visitor's money drains away, and the board is shorter for it.
most of it6
Pay the bank first
Vietnam owes $30 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$30 per $1007
No plan B
34.5% of everything Vietnam sells abroad is electrical machinery and electronics (2023, UN Comtrade). One market moving takes the whole board with it.
34.5% one export8
Community chest
Tourism earns 1.1% of everything Vietnam makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
1.1% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From New York a return economy seat is 2.37 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.37 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$527 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$527bnGDPUS$514.7bn
Agriculture, share of GDP11.6%
Visitors a year3,837,000
Visitors per resident0
Residents~101,598,527
Agriculture
Farming is 11.6% of the economy. Vietnam is one of the world's top three rice exporters and an agricultural powerhouse, with intensive smallholder farming of rice, vegetables, coffee, fruit and aquaculture.
Natural materials
Vietnam has a rich living natural fibre culture: mulberry silk weaving, bamboo and rattan, water hyacinth and seagrass basketry, the palm leaf conical hat and Hmong hemp dyed with indigo. These crafts remain in everyday production, not just for tourists.
Energy
Vietnam's low emissions belie a coal-heavy grid: coal supplies close to half of electricity, though a rapid solar boom (over 18 GW installed) and large hydropower push low-carbon sources to more than a third of generation. Territorial CO2 emissions are about 3.67 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Vietnam?
By rooms · company records and press.
Paksong Farmstay · ~4 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20157,944k
201610,013k
201712,922k
201815,498k
201918,009k
20203,837k
International tourism receipts run at about US$3.23 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 1.1% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting Vietnam, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking rice, fresh herbs and greens, tofu, morning glory, noodles and tropical fruit over imported menus.
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use Cheap domestic flights, the reunification railway, sleeper buses and Grab motorbikes and taxis
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
Swipe
First time here
A forested Southeast Asian hotspot of endemic species and Buddhist plant based cooking, undercut by weak protected areas, unsafe tap water and heavy plastic pollution.
Best time: The dry season, but the climate splits sharply north, central and south
Getting around
Cheap domestic flights, the reunification railway, sleeper buses and Grab motorbikes and taxis
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is rice, fresh herbs and greens, tofu, morning glory, noodles and tropical fruit. Vietnam has one of Asia's easiest plant based food cultures.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash in the provinces, cards in cities; VND. Crossing streets is an art.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the place to stay
Paksong FarmstayIndependent · 4 rooms
The one property listed here does not publish who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Vietnam.
How well is Vietnam actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Vietnam scores 43 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
What is daily life in Vietnam really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Cheap domestic flights, the reunification railway, sleeper buses and Grab motorbikes and taxis
96.1%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 2.9% of GDP and 15.4% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 93.4% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022).
Made in Vietnam.
Vietnam has a rich living natural fibre culture: mulberry silk weaving, bamboo and rattan, water hyacinth and seagrass basketry, the palm leaf conical hat and Hmong hemp dyed with indigo. These crafts remain in everyday production, not just for tourists. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Vietnam actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Vietnam sells the world is electrical machinery and electronics, 34.5% of all exports in 2023 (about US$132.72 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are machinery and mechanical appliances at 9.1%, footwear at 5.9%, woven clothing at 4.3%, knitted clothing at 4.2%.
Made now · natural materials
Bamboo
Worked in Vietnam from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Rattan
Worked in Vietnam from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Water hyacinth
Worked in Vietnam from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Seagrass basketry
Worked in Vietnam from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Palm leaf conical hat
Worked in Vietnam from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 7.9% of imports
Mineral fuels and oils
Vietnam imported US$25.69 billion of mineral fuels and oils in 2023, 7.9% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 5.4% of imports
Plastics
Vietnam imported US$17.50 billion of plastics in 2023, 5.4% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 3.8% of imports
Iron and steel
Vietnam imported US$12.43 billion of iron and steel in 2023, 3.8% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 2.3% of imports
Optical, medical and precision instruments
Vietnam imported US$7.39 billion of optical, medical and precision instruments in 2023, 2.3% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Vietnam produces about US$515 billion a year, which is roughly US$5,066 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 11.6% of that, while food is 8.8% of everything the country imports. With 21.5% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in Vietnam.
UNESCO-listed Nha nhac Hue court music
Elegant music of the royal court, performed from the fifteenth to the mid twentieth century at coronations, funerals, religious holidays and official receptions. UNESCO proclaimed it in 2003 and inscribed it in 2008.
Ca tru sung poetryA complex sung poetry of northern Vietnam, performed by a female singer with clappers, a three stringed lute player and a drummer. UNESCO listed it for urgent safeguarding in 2009.
Quan ho love duetsFolk songs of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, sung in alternating verses between pairs of women and men from twinned villages, with more than 400 lyrics. UNESCO inscribed them in 2009.
Does Vietnam protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Vietnam sustains an unusually rich living heritage. Water puppetry and lion and dragon dance sit alongside a remarkable set of UNESCO-listed music forms, including Nha nhac Hue royal court music, Ca tru sung poetry, Quan ho love duets and southern Don ca tai tu chamber music. Ancestral traditions are central to daily life, from ancestor veneration in every home to Dao Mau Mother Goddess worship with its len dong spirit mediumship and the Hung Kings commemoration.
Who it belongs to. Vietnam recognises 54 ethnic groups, and living hill communities such as the Hmong, Tay and Dao anchor genuine community based tourism and homestays in Sapa, Mai Chau and Ha Giang. Some hill tribe tourism is commodified and unevenly rewarded, which keeps this just short of the top band.
Only here. Hang Son Doong, the largest cave passage on Earth, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
The Future of Vietnam.
Three futures for Vietnam, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Vietnam Military History Museum (Hà Nội), Ho Chi Minh Museum (Hà Nội), Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (Hà Nội), National Museum of Vietnamese History (Hà Nội), Hanoi Museum (Hà Nội). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Hoi An Art Craft Manufacturing Workshop, Huy Ép Biển số.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 32.5% to 47.1% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 72.2% to 41.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.48 t to 4.27 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 1,351k to 3,837k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 6.5% to 7.6% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 69.9% to 25% across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 64.9% to 24.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 304 kg to 1,188 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 2.6% to 2.9% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 70.9 yrs to 74.7 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 3,570 kg/ha to 6,038 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 226 kg/ha to 420 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 78.5% to 61.2% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 1.08 $/m3 to 4.41 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 4.11% to 4.56% across 23 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 105,800 km2 to 147,901 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 159 kWh to 2,756 kWh across 29 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 49.44 to 73.52 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 11.72 to 7.61 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 4.9 to 153.73 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 30.88 to 318.43 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 1.23 to 55.54 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 5.92 to 81.25 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Vietnam's record. Certified organic farmland is about 0.5% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020). A participatory guarantee system for organic produce is growing around the cities, but certified area remains small.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift water
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Vietnam's record. Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift conservation
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Vietnam's record. Only about 7.6% of land and 0.5% of seas are protected (World Bank, 2025), and enforcement is weak. Industrial scale snaring and the wildlife trade have hollowed out even protected forests, a problem conservationists call empty forest syndrome.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Vietnam.
Who is in charge of Vietnam now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Le Minh Hung
Prime Minister
Le Minh Hung is the head of government of Vietnam, in office since 7 April 2026. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 34.5 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 33.9 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 45.9 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 42.7 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 67.7 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 65.9 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 55.7 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 53.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 53.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 50.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Le Minh HungPrime Minister
National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)Legislature, unicameral
Last election15 March 2026
Constitution1992, as revised to 2013
Government typecommunist party-led state
Vietnam national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
2050
Net zero
In Policy Document<br>In Political PledgeNet-zero target as recorded by Climate Watch. Status: In Policy Document (11/8/2022)
In Political Pledge (11/1/2021) Source
In Political Pledge (11/1/2021) Source
Gases covered
Unclear or Undecided Source
Sectors covered
Unclear or Undecided Source
International offsets
Unclear or Undecided Source
Plain Answers About Vietnam.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
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Is Vietnam sustainable?
Vietnam scores 62 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. A forested Southeast Asian hotspot of endemic species and Buddhist plant based cooking, undercut by weak protected areas, unsafe tap water and heavy plastic pollution.
Is the water in Vietnam safe and plentiful?
Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink. The Mekong Delta, the country's rice bowl, faces worsening saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and reduced flows from upstream dams.
Can Vietnam feed itself?
Vietnam is one of the world's top three rice exporters and an agricultural powerhouse, with intensive smallholder farming of rice, vegetables, coffee, fruit and aquaculture. It is strongly self sufficient in staples and food import dependence is low.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Vietnam?
Vietnam has one of Asia's easiest plant based food cultures. A deep Buddhist vegetarian tradition, com chay, means dedicated vegetarian eateries are common, especially near temples and on lunar days, and everyday cooking is rich in fresh herbs, greens, tofu and rice. Unprocessed plant food is cheap and everywhere.
How much of Vietnam is actually protected?
Only about 7.6% of land and 0.5% of seas are protected (World Bank, 2025), and enforcement is weak. Industrial scale snaring and the wildlife trade have hollowed out even protected forests, a problem conservationists call empty forest syndrome.
What wildlife is left in Vietnam?
Vietnam lies in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and holds remarkable endemics, including the saola, the Cat Ba and Delacour's langurs and the grey shanked douc, with 1,053 IUCN threatened species (2023). The tragedy is that these populations are collapsing under snaring and trafficking, and the Javan rhino was declared extinct in the country in 2011, after the last individual was found shot in Cat Tien National Park in April 2010.
Is Vietnam on clean energy?
Vietnam's low emissions belie a coal-heavy grid: coal supplies close to half of electricity, though a rapid solar boom (over 18 GW installed) and large hydropower push low-carbon sources to more than a third of generation. Territorial CO2 emissions are about 3.67 tonnes per person (2024), below the world average. The country has pledged net zero by 2050 and signed a Just Energy Transition Partnership mobilising an initial 15.5 billion US dollars to move away from coal and cap coal capacity.
How polluted is Vietnam?
Air pollution is a real problem, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 25 micrograms per cubic metre nationally and far higher in Hanoi during winter (World Bank, 2023). Vietnam is also among the largest emitters of ocean plastic; it has a national plastic action plan with reduction targets, but enforcement is limited and single use plastic is pervasive.
Does recycling work in Vietnam?
There is no reliable municipal recycling rate. Recycling is dominated by the informal sector, including waste pickers and specialised craft villages that reprocess plastics, metal and paper, often in polluting conditions.
Is the farming in Vietnam organic?
Certified organic farmland is about 0.5% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020). A participatory guarantee system for organic produce is growing around the cities, but certified area remains small.
Are there natural materials and craft in Vietnam?
Vietnam has a rich living natural fibre culture: mulberry silk weaving, bamboo and rattan, water hyacinth and seagrass basketry, the palm leaf conical hat and Hmong hemp dyed with indigo. These crafts remain in everyday production, not just for tourists.
Is there living culture in Vietnam?
Vietnam recognises 54 ethnic groups, and living hill communities such as the Hmong, Tay and Dao anchor genuine community based tourism and homestays in Sapa, Mai Chau and Ha Giang. Some hill tribe tourism is commodified and unevenly rewarded, which keeps this just short of the top band.
What heritage does Vietnam keep alive?
Vietnam sustains an unusually rich living heritage. Water puppetry and lion and dragon dance sit alongside a remarkable set of UNESCO-listed music forms, including Nha nhac Hue royal court music, Ca tru sung poetry, Quan ho love duets and southern Don ca tai tu chamber music. Ancestral traditions are central to daily life, from ancestor veneration in every home to Dao Mau Mother Goddess worship with its len dong spirit mediumship and the Hung Kings commemoration.
So is Vietnam actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: land protected at 7.6% against a 30% mark, sea protected at 0.5% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 41.2% against a 100% mark.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · CIA World Factbook, Viet Nam (archived) · World Bank, Population, total: Viet Nam · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area): Viet Nam · World Bank, Renewable electricity output: Viet Nam · World Bank, CO2 emissions per capita: Viet Nam · World Bank, Cause of death by non-communicable diseases: Viet Nam
How Vietnam Ranks, region and world.
Where Vietnam sits on the Eco Index, against its Asia neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does Vietnam compare in Asia?
1India67
2Sri Lanka65
3Laos63
4Cambodia62
5Thailand62
Scored Asia destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
Vietnam sits 48 of 77 at 62/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is Vietnam particularly good at?
✓ Plant-based eating, scored 5/5. Vietnam has one of Asia's easiest plant based food cultures. A deep Buddhist vegetarian tradition, com chay, means dedicated vegetarian eateries are common, especially near temples and on lunar days, and everyday cooking is rich in fresh herbs, greens, tofu and rice. Unprocessed plant food is cheap and everywhere.
✓ Heritage, scored 5/5. Vietnam sustains an unusually rich living heritage. Water puppetry and lion and dragon dance sit alongside a remarkable set of UNESCO-listed music forms, including Nha nhac Hue royal court music, Ca tru sung poetry, Quan ho love duets and southern Don ca tai tu chamber music. Ancestral traditions are central to daily life, from ancestor veneration in every home to Dao Mau Mother Goddess worship with its len dong spirit mediumship and the Hung Kings commemoration. The Space of Gong Culture of the Central Highlands and the living practices of 54 ethnic groups round out a deep and continuous tradition.
✓ Food and farming, scored 4/5. Vietnam is one of the world's top three rice exporters and an agricultural powerhouse, with intensive smallholder farming of rice, vegetables, coffee, fruit and aquaculture. It is strongly self sufficient in staples and food import dependence is low.
Where does Vietnam score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 1/5. Certified organic farmland is about 0.5% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020). A participatory guarantee system for organic produce is growing around the cities, but certified area remains small.
✕ Water, scored 2/5. Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink. The Mekong Delta, the country's rice bowl, faces worsening saltwater intrusion, land subsidence and reduced flows from upstream dams.
✕ Conservation, scored 2/5. Only about 7.6% of land and 0.5% of seas are protected (World Bank, 2025), and enforcement is weak. Industrial scale snaring and the wildlife trade have hollowed out even protected forests, a problem conservationists call empty forest syndrome.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 1/5
Certified organic farmland is about 0.5% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020). A participatory guarantee system for organic produce is growing around the cities, but certified area remains small.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Vietnam's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Water, 2/5
Vietnam has abundant surface water from the Mekong and Red River deltas and heavy monsoon rainfall, but safe access lags: only about 59% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024) and tap water is not safe to drink.
Conservation, 2/5
Only about 7.6% of land and 0.5% of seas are protected (World Bank, 2025), and enforcement is weak. Industrial scale snaring and the wildlife trade have hollowed out even protected forests, a problem conservationists call empty forest syndrome.
The Vietnam Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Vietnam, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores Vietnam
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
47.1
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
7.6
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
0.5
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
41.2
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
4.3 t (2024)
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
1053
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
45.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
56.0 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
55.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
67.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
34.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
23.8 / 100 · 173 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 173 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
22.5 / 100 · 173 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 173 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
23.9 / 100 · 147 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 147 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
23.9 / 100 · 141 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 141 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
24.7 / 100 · 146 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 146 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
5.5 / 100 · 83 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 83 of 111 countries assessed.
How Vietnam Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 76 sources across 27 institutions
World Bank20 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- PM2.5 mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic metre) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS, 2022 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
- Vietnam: Plastic Pollution Diagnostics (East Asia and Pacific Marine Plastics Series), June 2022, Vietnam is also among the largest emitters of ocean plastic; it has a national plastic action plan with reduct check
- Vietnam: Plastic Pollution Diagnostics (East Asia and Pacific Marine Plastics Series), June 2022 corroboration check
- Vietnam: Plastic Pollution Diagnostics (East Asia and Pacific Marine Plastics Series), June 2022 corroboration check
- What a Waste 2.0 country-level dataset check
GBIF occurrence search13 FIGURES
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Aves, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, order Testudines, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (turtle). check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, order Testudines corroboration check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, all taxa, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Vietnam in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
- Viet Nam, IUCN Red List category Critically Endangered, all taxa corroboration check
FAO5 FIGURES
- FAOSTAT, Trade: Crops and livestock products (rice export quantity by country), Vietnam is one of the world's top three rice exporters and an agricultural powerhouse, with intensive smallhol check
- FAOSTAT, Trade: Crops and livestock products (rice export quantity by country) corroboration check
- FAOSTAT, Trade: Crops and livestock products (rice export quantity by country) corroboration check
- FAOSTAT, Trade: Crops and livestock products (rice export quantity by country) corroboration check
- FAOSTAT, Crops and livestock products (production quantity, Viet Nam, 2024), By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Vietnam are rice, sugarcane, cassava and maize (FAO, FAOSTAT crop produ check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics4 FIGURES
- UIS public data API, Viet Nam 2022, Public spending on education runs at 2.9% of GDP and 15.4% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- UIS public data API, Viet Nam 2022 corroboration check
- UIS public data API, Viet Nam 2022 corroboration check
- UIS public data API, Viet Nam 2022 corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, Vietnam, 2025 (40.1%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, Vietnam, 2025 (24.5%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, Vietnam, 2025 (38.2%), country-reported check
Convention on Biological Diversity3 FIGURES
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3, The 30x30 target is 30% by 2030, so 29.5 percentage points are still to be designated. check
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3 corroboration check
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3 corroboration check
Department of Cultural Heritage3 FIGURES
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, official list of Vietnamese elements on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Water puppetry and lion and dragon dance sit alongside a remarkable set of UNESCO-listed music forms, includin check
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, official list of Vietnamese elements on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity corroboration check
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, official list of Vietnamese elements on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity corroboration check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, Vietnam, 2025 (47.2%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, Vietnam, 2025 (100.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, Vietnam, 2025 (15.6%), country-reported check
IUCN2 FIGURES
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Management Board2 FIGURES
- Ket qua khao sat hang dong khu vuc Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Results of cave surveys in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang area), Hang Son Doong, the largest cave passage on Earth, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park check
- Ket qua khao sat hang dong khu vuc Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Results of cave surveys in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang area) corroboration check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- Viet Nam 1992 (rev. 2013) check
FAO and USDA1 FIGURE
- Vietnam among the top three global rice exporters check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture, organic farmland statistics check
IEA1 FIGURE
- Viet Nam country profile, 2023 check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Vietnam, 2023 (24.5%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- Vietnam elections and chambers check
Other published sources1 FIGURE
- Declared extinct on 25 October 2011; 2010 is when the last rhino was killed, not when extinction was declared check
Our World in Data1 FIGURE
- CO2 emissions per capita (Global Carbon Project), 2024 check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UN Statistics Division1 FIGURE
- Statistical Yearbook (67th issue), Threatened species table (source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, accessed June 2024), 2023 figures check
UNESCO1 FIGURE
- Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Viet Nam check
UNESCO World Heritage Centre1 FIGURE
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Hang Son Doong) check
Vietnam Just Energy Transition Partnership joint statement1 FIGURE
- 2022 check
Vietnam National Museum of History1 FIGURE
- national heritage and antiquities authority check
World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP1 FIGURE
- People using safely managed drinking water services (%) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 check