United Kingdom vs Vietnam
United Kingdom vs Vietnam: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.45% of the labour force in United Kingdom and 0.95% of the labour force in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 0.5 percentage points, or 2.12 times that in United Kingdom.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, United Kingdom ranked 121 and Vietnam ranked 72 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | United Kingdom | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.45 | 0.95 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.44 | 0.93 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.44 | 0.93 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.44 | 0.94 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.45 | 0.95 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.46 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.47 | 0.97 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.49 | 0.98 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.52 | 1.01 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.52 | 1.02 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.55 | 1.04 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.56 | 1.01 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.51 | 1.03 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.51 | 1.07 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.58 | 1.11 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.71 | 1.14 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.68 | – | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.71 | 1.26 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.71 | 1.28 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.72 | 1.29 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.73 | 1.35 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.75 | 1.37 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.76 | 1.39 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.76 | 1.51 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.78 | 1.71 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.82 | 1.75 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.91 | 2.01 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.96 | 2.53 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 1.03 | 2.59 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 1.05 | 3.22 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 1.07 | 3.33 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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
United Kingdom vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyUnited Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionUnited Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageUnited Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited Kingdom: $88B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUnited Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerUnited Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsUnited Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018