South Korea vs Vietnam
Vietnam has 2.0× the population of South Korea: 101,598,527 vs 51,684,564, a gap of 49.9 million. Vietnam is growing faster (+0.60% vs −0.13% a year), adding about 612,685 people a year against −66,458. At these source-year rates the modelled relative population gap is widening. South Korea is the older society: 20.3% aged 65+ against 9.5% in Vietnam, while Vietnam has more children (22.9% under 15 vs 10.2%). South Korea is 1.7× as densely populated (529.8 vs 320.2 people per km²). People in South Korea live 8.9 years longer on average (83.6 vs 74.7). GDP per capita is 7.2× higher in South Korea ($36,227 vs $5,066).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (South Korea) and 2025 (Vietnam); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
South Korea vs Vietnam — side by side
 South Korea |  Vietnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,684,5642025 | 101,598,5272025 |
| Growth rate / yr | −0.13%2025 | +0.60%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 4.72024 | 13.42024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 7.02024 | 6.62024 |
| Children per woman | 0.752024 | 1.902024 |
| Life expectancy | 83.6 yrs2024 | 74.7 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 10.2%2025 | 22.9%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 20.3%2025 | 9.5%2025 |
| Density | 529.8 /km²2023 | 320.2 /km²2023 |
| Area | 100,450 km²2023 | 331,338 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 81.2%2025 | 38.8%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | +65,7312025 | -48,1712025 |
| GDP per capita | $36,2272025 | $5,0662025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #29 | #16 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 0.63% | 1.24% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). South Korea: 2.1× from 1960 to 2025; Vietnam: 3.1× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Region: East Asia & Pacific · rankings
South Korea: South Korea vs India, South Korea vs China, South Korea vs United States, South Korea vs Indonesia, South Korea vs Pakistan, South Korea vs Nigeria, South Korea vs Brazil, South Korea vs Bangladesh.
Vietnam: Vietnam vs India, Vietnam vs China, Vietnam vs United States, Vietnam vs Indonesia, Vietnam vs Pakistan, Vietnam vs Nigeria, Vietnam vs Brazil, Vietnam vs Bangladesh.
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