China vs Vietnam
China vs Vietnam: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 9.3 years in China and 10.7 years in Vietnam, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 1.4 years, or 1.15 times that in China.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2017.
- In 2020, China ranked 50 and Vietnam ranked 32 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | China | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9.3 | 10.7 |
| 2018 | 9.2 | 10.6 |
| 2017 | 9.7 | 10.2 |
| 2010 | – | 10.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018