United States vs Vietnam
United States vs Vietnam: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.84% of the labour force in United States and 0.95% of the labour force in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 0.11 percentage points, or 1.13 times that in United States.
% 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 States ranked 84 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 States | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.84 | 0.95 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.82 | 0.93 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.83 | 0.93 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.82 | 0.94 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.82 | 0.95 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.83 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.86 | 0.97 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.9 | 0.98 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.93 | 1.01 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.96 | 1.02 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.99 | 1.04 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.99 | 1.01 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.97 | 1.03 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.99 | 1.07 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.96 | 1.11 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 1.01 | 1.14 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.97 | – | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.99 | 1.26 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.98 | 1.28 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.96 | 1.29 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.99 | 1.35 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.09 | 1.37 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.11 | 1.39 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.09 | 1.51 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.13 | 1.71 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.2 | 1.75 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.28 | 2.01 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.38 | 2.53 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 1.47 | 2.59 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 1.65 | 3.22 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 1.71 | 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 States vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyUnited States: 79.3 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited States: 97.5% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionUnited States: 4.84% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited States: 344 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited States: 0.58% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited States: 80.2% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageUnited States: 38 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited States: 17.4% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited States: $929B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited States: $2,755 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUnited States: 1.4 million people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerUnited States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsUnited States: 745 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited States: 14 billion TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018