Malaysia vs Vietnam
Malaysia vs Vietnam: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 77.4% in Malaysia and 38.8% in Vietnam, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 38.6 percentage points, or 1.99 times that in Vietnam.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Malaysia ranked 74 and Vietnam ranked 183 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Malaysia at 91% and Vietnam at 46.5% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Malaysia | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77.4 | 38.8 |
| 2024 | 76.9 | 38.5 |
| 2023 | 76.4 | 38.1 |
| 2022 | 76 | 37.6 |
| 2021 | 75.5 | 36.7 |
| 2020 | 75.1 | 35.6 |
| 2019 | 74.8 | 34.6 |
| 2018 | 74.6 | 33.9 |
| 2017 | 74.2 | 33.4 |
| 2016 | 73.9 | 32.9 |
| 2015 | 73.4 | 32.4 |
| 2014 | 73 | 32 |
| 2013 | 72.5 | 31.5 |
| 2012 | 72 | 31.1 |
| 2011 | 71.4 | 30.7 |
| 2010 | 70.9 | 30.3 |
| 2009 | 70.3 | 29.8 |
| 2008 | 69.5 | 29.2 |
| 2007 | 68.8 | 28.7 |
| 2006 | 67.9 | 28.1 |
| 2005 | 67 | 27.4 |
| 2004 | 66.1 | 26.8 |
| 2003 | 65.1 | 26.2 |
| 2002 | 64.1 | 25.6 |
| 2001 | 63 | 25 |
| 2000 | 62 | 24.4 |
| 1999 | 60.9 | 23.8 |
| 1998 | 59.7 | 23.3 |
| 1997 | 58.5 | 22.7 |
| 1996 | 57.2 | 22.1 |
| 1995 | 55.9 | 21.5 |
| 1994 | 54.6 | 20.9 |
| 1993 | 53.2 | 20.3 |
| 1992 | 51.9 | 19.8 |
| 1991 | 50.5 | 19.4 |
| 1990 | 49 | 19.2 |
| 1989 | 47.4 | 19.1 |
| 1988 | 45.8 | 19.1 |
| 1987 | 44 | 19.1 |
| 1986 | 42.3 | 19.1 |
| 1985 | 40.6 | 19.1 |
| 1984 | 39 | 19.1 |
| 1983 | 37.5 | 19.1 |
| 1982 | 36.2 | 19.1 |
| 1981 | 35.1 | 19.1 |
| 1980 | 34.2 | 19.2 |
| 1979 | 33.6 | 19.2 |
| 1978 | 33 | 19.2 |
| 1977 | 32.4 | 19.6 |
| 1976 | 31.9 | 20.4 |
| 1975 | 31.4 | 20.6 |
| 1974 | 30.9 | 20.5 |
| 1973 | 30.5 | 20.5 |
| 1972 | 30.1 | 20.6 |
| 1971 | 29.8 | 20.7 |
| 1970 | 29.4 | 20.7 |
| 1969 | 29.1 | 20.6 |
| 1968 | 28.8 | 20.1 |
| 1967 | 28.5 | 19.3 |
| 1966 | 28.1 | 18.4 |
| 1965 | 27.8 | 17.5 |
| 1964 | 27.5 | 17 |
| 1963 | 27.2 | 16.5 |
| 1962 | 26.8 | 16.1 |
| 1961 | 26.5 | 15.7 |
| 1960 | 26.1 | 15.3 |
| 1959 | 25.7 | 14.7 |
| 1958 | 25.2 | 13.8 |
| 1957 | 24.7 | 12.9 |
| 1956 | 24.2 | 12 |
| 1955 | 23.7 | 11.3 |
| 1954 | 23.1 | 10.8 |
| 1953 | 22.5 | 10.5 |
| 1952 | 21.9 | 10.2 |
| 1951 | 21.3 | 10 |
| 1950 | 20.6 | 10.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Malaysia | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77.9 | 39.2 |
| 2027 | 78.4 | 39.5 |
| 2028 | 78.9 | 39.8 |
| 2029 | 79.4 | 40.2 |
| 2030 | 79.9 | 40.5 |
| 2031 | 80.4 | 40.8 |
| 2032 | 80.9 | 41.2 |
| 2033 | 81.4 | 41.5 |
| 2034 | 81.9 | 41.8 |
| 2035 | 82.4 | 42.1 |
| 2036 | 83 | 42.5 |
| 2037 | 83.5 | 42.8 |
| 2038 | 84 | 43.1 |
| 2039 | 84.6 | 43.4 |
| 2040 | 85.1 | 43.7 |
| 2041 | 85.7 | 44 |
| 2042 | 86.3 | 44.3 |
| 2043 | 86.8 | 44.6 |
| 2044 | 87.4 | 44.9 |
| 2045 | 88 | 45.2 |
| 2046 | 88.6 | 45.5 |
| 2047 | 89.2 | 45.7 |
| 2048 | 89.8 | 46 |
| 2049 | 90.4 | 46.3 |
| 2050 | 91 | 46.5 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Malaysia vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyMalaysia: 76.7 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalaysia: 93.9% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionMalaysia: 3.52% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageMalaysia: 30.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalaysia: 7.5% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalaysia: $4.55B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalaysia: $138 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalaysia: 136,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018