Updated
Overview
Vietnam has 4.4 times the population of Taiwan: 101.60 million people against 23.30 million (2025).
Taiwan's economy is about 80% larger than Vietnam's, at $920.05B versus $514.70B.
Per person, Taiwan is the wealthier of the two: $39,489 against $5,066 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Vietnam | Taiwan | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | $514.70B | Higher: $920.05B | 2025 | $476.39B / $611.39B |
| GDP per capita | $5,066 | Higher: $39,489 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 8.0% | Higher: 8.7% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 3.3% | Lower: 1.7% | 2025 | 3.6% / 2.2% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 1.5% | 3.4% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 29 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $355 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $205 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $2.89 | $2.42 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 101.60 million | 23.30 million | 2025 | 106.69 million / 23.60 million |
| Population growth | 0.6% | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 33.4 yrs | 44.8 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.88 | 0.86 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 74.7 yrs | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 39% | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 84% | — | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 331,212 km² | 36,193 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 306.7/km² | 643.7/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 371 Mt | Lower: 262 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 3.7 t | 11.3 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $5.50B | — | 2018 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.8% | — | 2018 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 522,000 | — | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Taiwan is growing faster: 8.7% annual GDP growth versus 8.0%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 3.3% in Vietnam and 1.7% in Taiwan.
People and society
Vietnam is the far younger society: median age 33.4 versus 44.8 years.
Geography
By land area, Vietnam is 9.2 times the size of Taiwan: 331,212 km² versus 36,193 km².
Both sit in the same broad region but do not share a border.
Taiwan is far more densely settled: 644 people per km² against 307.
Frequently asked
- Is Vietnam bigger than Taiwan?
- Vietnam is larger by land area. Vietnam covers 331,212 km² while Taiwan covers 36,193 km², so Vietnam is 9.2 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Vietnam or Taiwan?
- Vietnam has the larger population: 101.60 million versus 23.30 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Vietnam richer than Taiwan?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Taiwan is richer: $39,489 against $5,066. Total GDP tells the same story: $514.70B for Vietnam versus $920.05B for Taiwan.