Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam
Viet Nam: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 12.88 million people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam is 12.88 million people, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam peaked at 13.76 million people in 1980 and was at its lowest, 10.54 million people, in 1950.
That places Viet Nam 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 10.54 million people | — |
| 1955 | 11.14 million people | +5.7% |
| 1960 | 11.88 million people | +6.6% |
| 1965 | 12.51 million people | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 13.03 million people | +4.2% |
| 1975 | 13.58 million people | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 13.76 million people | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 13.51 million people | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 13.20 million people | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 12.78 million people | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 12.55 million people | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 12.54 million people | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 12.62 million people | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 12.65 million people | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 12.88 million people | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10.84 million people | 10.54 million people | 11.14 million people | 2 |
| 1960s | 12.19 million people | 11.88 million people | 12.51 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 13.30 million people | 13.03 million people | 13.58 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 13.63 million people | 13.51 million people | 13.76 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.99 million people | 12.78 million people | 13.20 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.54 million people | 12.54 million people | 12.55 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 12.64 million people | 12.62 million people | 12.65 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 12.88 million people | 12.88 million people | 12.88 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Viet Nam
More population data for Viet Nam
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5387 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.4983 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5387 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4775 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.531 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 292.59 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.95 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.49 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Viet Nam was 12.88 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Viet Nam?
- The highest recorded value was 13.76 million people in 1980.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Viet Nam?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.54 million people in 1950.
- How does Viet Nam rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Viet Nam ranks 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Viet Nam?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Viet Nam data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.