Vietnam vs Philippines
Economics, safety, healthcare, politics, quality of life, visa freedom and top nomad cities side by side.
Overview
 VN
Vietnam
|
 PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Socialist Republic of Vietnam | Republic of the Philippines |
| Capital | Hanoi | Manila |
| Region | Asia South-Eastern Asia | Asia South-Eastern Asia |
| Currency | Vietnamese đồng | Philippine peso |
At a glance
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Average nomad score | 6.1 / 10 | 5.9 / 10 |
| Population | 102,300,000 | 112,729,484 |
| Area | 331,212 km² | 342,353 km² |
| Density | 290.5 per km² | 329.3 per km² |
| Human development index | 0.766 | 0.720 |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $24,915 (2031) | $18,840 (2031) |
| Life expectancy | 74.7 yrs (2024) | 70.0 yrs (2024) |
| Visa-free access | 52 countries #159 | 62 countries #135 |
Economics
Latest available year in brackets
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| GDP nominal | $705.4B (2031) | $777.6B (2031) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $24,915 (2031) | $18,840 (2031) |
| GDP growth | 5.4% (2031) | 6.0% (2031) |
| Inflation (CPI) | 3.6% (2031) | 3.0% (2031) |
| Unemployment | 2.2% (2031) | 4.4% (2031) |
| Gini index | 36.1 (2022) | 39.3 (2023) |
| Internet users | 84.2% (2024) | 67.3% (2024) |
| Urban population | 38.8% (2025) | 55.8% (2025) |
| Government debt (% of GDP) | 26.6% (2031) | 54.7% (2031) |
| Trade openness | 190.3% (2025) | 66.8% (2025) |
| Labor force participation | 78.4% (2025) | 63.7% (2025) |
Healthcare
Latest available year in brackets
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 74.7 yrs (2024) | 70.0 yrs (2024) |
Quality of life
Latest available year in brackets
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Life satisfaction | 6.4 (2025) | 6.2 (2025) |
| Healthy life expectancy | 65.4 yrs (2021) | 58.8 yrs (2021) |
| Universal health coverage | 71 (2023) | 69 (2023) |
| Broadband per 100 people | 23.7 (2024) | 7.1 (2024) |
Environment
Latest available year in brackets
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 25.6 (2024) | 23.1 (2024) |
| Renewable energy | 45.4% (2025) | 23.3% (2025) |
Demographics and society
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Government | Unitary communist state | Unitary presidential republic |
| Languages | Vietnamese | English, Filipino |
| Time zones | UTC+07:00 | UTC+08:00 |
| Driving side | Right | Right |
| Literacy rate | 96.1% (2022) | 98.5% (2020) |
| Education spending | 2.9% of GDP (2022) | 4.0% of GDP (2025) |
| Health spending | 4.6% of GDP (2023) | 5.1% of GDP (2023) |
| Fertility rate | 1.9 (2024) | 1.9 (2024) |
| Birth rate | 13.4 per 1,000 (2024) | 15.9 per 1,000 (2024) |
| Death rate | 6.7 per 1,000 (2024) | 6.4 per 1,000 (2024) |
| Infant mortality | 12.0 per 1,000 (2024) | 21.7 per 1,000 (2024) |
Politics and governance
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Corruption perceptions (CPI) | 41.00 (2026) | 32.00 (2026) |
| Press freedom | 19.7 #173 Asie-Pacifique (2025) | 49.6 #116 Asie-Pacifique (2025) |
| Electoral democracy | 0.15 | 0.39 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.10 | 0.29 |
| Participatory democracy | 0.16 | 0.26 |
Top nomad cities
Nomad score and monthly cost of living
|
VN
Vietnam
|
PH
Philippines
|
|
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Da Nang 7.2 · $1,517 / mo | Taguig 6.7 · $1,653 / mo |
| #2 | Ho Chi Minh City 7.1 · $2,301 / mo | Cebu City 6.7 · $1,777 / mo |
| #3 | Hanoi 7.1 · $1,729 / mo | Makati 6.6 · $2,086 / mo |
| #4 | Hoi An 6.8 · $1,431 / mo | Dumaguete 6.5 · $1,417 / mo |
| #5 | Nha Trang 6.7 · $1,485 / mo | Manila 6.5 · $2,039 / mo |