HCMC – Vietnam’s population has surpassed 100 million people, marking a demographic milestone for the Southeast Asian nation even as it faces declining birth rates and a rapidly aging population.
Vietnam’s population reached about 101.6 million in 2025, placing it among a small group of countries with populations exceeding 100 million, the Population Department under the Ministry of Health said, citing the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 2025 Population Data Sheet.
However, the country’s total fertility rate fell to 1.9 children per woman in 2025, below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain long-term population stability.
The decline highlights a broader demographic shift that has swept across much of Asia, where urbanization, rising living costs, delayed marriage and changing family preferences have contributed to lower birth rates.
Vietnam’s life expectancy reached 74.9 years in 2025, while the median age rose to 33.4 years.
People aged 65 and above now account for about 9.5% of Vietnam’s population, a share expected to increase significantly in coming decades as larger generations move into retirement.
Vietnam remains in the final stage of its demographic dividend period, providing an important opportunity to boost economic growth, improve labor productivity and accumulate resources for the future.
However, declining fertility and longer life expectancy are expected to create challenges similar to those faced by several East Asian economies, including labor shortages, rising healthcare and elderly care costs, and increasing pressure on pension and social security systems.
