South Africa vs Vietnam
South Africa vs Vietnam: Forest area
Forest area in 2024: 18.8% in South Africa and 47.1% in Vietnam, by FAO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 28.3 percentage points, or 2.51 times that in South Africa.
% of land · FAO
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 133 and Vietnam ranked 64 of 209 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of land · FAO
| Year | South Africa | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18.8 | 47.1 | – |
| 2023 | 18.7 | 47 | 31.1 |
| 2022 | 18.7 | 47 | 31.1 |
| 2021 | 18.6 | 46.9 | 31.2 |
| 2020 | 18.5 | 46.8 | 31.2 |
| 2019 | 18.4 | 46.4 | 31.2 |
| 2018 | 18.4 | 46 | 31.3 |
| 2017 | 18.3 | 45.7 | 31.3 |
| 2016 | 18.2 | 45.3 | 31.3 |
| 2015 | 18.1 | 44.9 | 31.4 |
| 2014 | 18.1 | 44.4 | 31.4 |
| 2013 | 18 | 44.1 | 31.4 |
| 2012 | 17.9 | 43.6 | 31.5 |
| 2011 | 17.9 | 43.2 | 31.9 |
| 2010 | 17.8 | 42.7 | 32 |
| 2009 | 17.7 | 42.3 | 32 |
| 2008 | 17.6 | 41.8 | 32 |
| 2007 | 17.6 | 41.3 | 32.1 |
| 2006 | 17.5 | 40.8 | 32.1 |
| 2005 | 17.4 | 40.2 | 32.1 |
| 2004 | 17.4 | 40.1 | 32.2 |
| 2003 | 17.3 | 39.6 | 32.3 |
| 2002 | 17.2 | 39 | 32.3 |
| 2001 | 17.1 | 38.4 | 32.3 |
| 2000 | 17.1 | 37.9 | 32.4 |
| 1999 | 17 | 35.5 | 32.5 |
| 1998 | 16.9 | 34.7 | 32.5 |
| 1997 | 16.8 | 34 | 32.6 |
| 1996 | 16.8 | 33.2 | 32.7 |
| 1995 | 16.7 | 32.5 | 32.7 |
| 1994 | 16.6 | 31.8 | 32.8 |
| 1993 | 16.6 | 31 | 32.8 |
| 1992 | 16.5 | 30.3 | 33 |
| 1991 | 16.4 | 29.6 | – |
| 1990 | 16.3 | 28.8 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of land under trees at least 5 metres tall, natural or planted, leaving out orchards and city parks.
- Source: FAO, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 209 countries with a value in 2024, 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
South Africa vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018