Population of Vietnam increases to 96 million

Photo: Hoang Nam/Vnexpress

The latest figure shows that the country is the third most populous nation in Southeast Asia and the 15th in the world. Over the past decade, the national population has increased by 10 million people, a rise that was slightly lower than the previous 10-year period.

The gender ratio currently stands at 99.1 male births for every 100 female births nationwide. This can be broken down to 96.5 male births for every 100 female births in urban areas, and 100.5 male births for every 100 female births in rural areas.

The country’s population density is now 290 people per sq. Km, a high figure in comparison to other countries in the region and worldwide.

The two localities that recorded the highest population density nationwide were the capital city of Hanoi, with 2,398 people per sq. Km, and the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, with 4,363 people per sq. Km.

The majority of the population is focused along the Red River Delta area which is home to more than 22.5 million people. In contrast, the lowest concentration of people is in the Central Highlands, with just over 5.8 million.

There are currently more than 33 million people living in urban areas whilst 63.1 million people live in rural areas.

People aged 15 and above who have been married account for 77.5 per cent of the overall population. Of which, married people account for 69 per cent of the total population, divorced people make up 2 per cent of the population, and widows and widowers account for 6 per cent.

In total, the country has more than 26.8 million households, an increase of 4.4 million in comparison with 2009. Despite this increase, approximately 4,800 families are without housing.