Viet Nam's working age population accounts for almost 63%
VGP - In 2025, Viet Nam had a population of 102.3 million, of which 63% were of working age (15–59), maintaining its “golden population” status, according to the National Statistics Office.
The male population reached 51 million, accounting for 49.9 percent, while the female population was 51.3 million, equivalent to 50.1 percent. The rural population stood at 62.9 million, representing 61.4 percent of the total, with the remaining 39 million people living in urban areas.
Due to declining birth rates in recent years, coupled with rising life expectancy, the share of the young population (aged 0–14) continued to fall, from 23.5 percent in 2024 to 22.8 percent in 2025. In contrast, the proportion of the elderly population (aged 60 and above) increased from 14 percent to 14.5 percent.
Despite these changes, the working-age population (15–59) remained high at around 62.7 percent, indicating the fact that Viet Nam is still in its demographic dividend phase, commonly referred to as the "golden population" period.
Viet Nam's total fertility rate (TFR) in 2025 was 1.93 children per woman, a slight increase from 2024 (1.91 children per woman). However, since 2020, fertility has exhibited a downward trend and is projected to continue declining in the coming years.
Mortality rates remained low. The crude death rate in 2025 was 6.1 per thousand, a slight rise from 2024 (5.6 per thousand). The infant mortality rate (IMR) was 11.2 per thousand, marginally down from the previous year (11.3 per thousand). Average life expectancy held steady at 74.7 years, unchanged from 2024.
The sex ratio at birth (SRB) in 2025 was 110 boys per 100 girls, a slight decrease from 2024 (111.4). Nevertheless, this remains well above the natural biological balance (about 105 boys per 100 girls), indicating that gender imbalance at birth continues to be a significant challenge.
The National Statistics Office emphasized the need for more synchronized and effective policy implementation to achieve the goals of the Viet Nam Population Strategy, which targets reducing the SRB to below 109 boys per 100 live-born girls by 2030./.
