Singapore vs Vietnam
Singapore vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 59,000 people in Singapore and 522,000 people in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 463,000 people, or 8.85 times that in Singapore.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Singapore ranked 65 and Vietnam ranked 12 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Singapore | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 59,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 59,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 59,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 81,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 147,600 | 522,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 147,600 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 147,600 | 522,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 147,600 | 522,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 147,600 | 522,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 147,600 | 522,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 147,500 | 522,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 147,500 | 495,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 167,000 | 495,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 167,000 | 495,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 167,000 | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 167,000 | 495,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 165,000 | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 168,800 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 156,800 | 524,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 154,500 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 168,500 | 524,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 181,000 | 524,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 180,500 | 524,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 178,000 | 557,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 65,500 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 65,500 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 56,000 | 700,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 56,000 | 857,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 56,000 | 857,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 56,000 | 1.04 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 56,000 | 1.05 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 56,000 | 1.25 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 55,000 | 1.03 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 56,000 | 1.23 million | – |
| 1983 | 42,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1982 | 60,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1981 | 59,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1980 | 50,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1979 | 57,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1978 | 64,000 | 660,000 | – |
| 1977 | 36,000 | 615,000 | – |
| 1976 | 35,000 | 637,000 | – |
| 1975 | 27,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 24,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 24,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Singapore vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancySingapore: 83.7 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySingapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySingapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSingapore: 100% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionSingapore: 3.44% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateSingapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSingapore: 5.79 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthSingapore: 0.81% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSingapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSingapore: 100% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageSingapore: 35.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSingapore: 13.1% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateSingapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSingapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSingapore: $16.9B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personSingapore: $2,980 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSingapore: 18% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerSingapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSingapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSingapore: 57 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSingapore: 79 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018