Demographics of Vietnam
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Vietnam
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Originating in what is now southern China
and northern Vietnam
, the Vietnamese people
pushed southward over two millennia to occupy the entire eastern seacoast of the Indochinese Peninsula
. Ethnic Vietnamese, or Viet (known officially as Kinh), live in the lowlands and speak the Vietnamese language
. This group dominates much of the cultural and political landscape of Vietnam.
Figures for 2010 are preliminary.
The Khmer Krom
are found in the delta of the Mekong River, in the south of Vietnam, where they form in many areas the majority of the rural population. They live in an area which was previously part of Cambodia and which Vietnam conquered in the 17th and 18th centuries. Official Vietnamese figures put the Khmer Krom at 1.3 million people. However, estimates vary from 1.1 to 7 million.
Vietnam's approximately 1 million ethnic Chinese, constitute one of Vietnam's largest minority groups. Long important in the Vietnamese economy, Vietnamese of Chinese ancestry have been active in rice trading, milling, real estate, and banking in the south and shopkeeping, stevedoring, and mining in the north. Restrictions on economic activity following reunification in 1975 and the subsequent but unrelated general deterioration in Vietnamese-Chinese relations sent chills through the Chinese-Vietnamese community.
The relation between China and Vietnam also declined in this period, with Vietnam siding with the Soviet Union
against China in the Chinese-Soviet split
. Tensions peaked when Vietnam invaded Cambodia
, an ally of China, to depose Pol Pot
, resulting in a Chinese invasion of Vietnam
in 1979. In 1978-79, some 450,000 ethnic Chinese left Vietnam by boat as refugees (many officially encouraged and assisted) or were expelled across the land border with China. However in recent years the government has performed an about turn and is encouraging overseas Hoa to return and invest.
The central highland peoples commonly termed Degar
or Montagnards (mountain people) comprise two main ethnolinguistic groups--Malayo-Polynesian and Mon–Khmer. About 30 groups of various cultures and dialects are spread over the highland territory.
Other minority groups include the Cham--remnants of the once-mighty Champa
Kingdom, conquered by the Vietnamese in the 15th century, Hmong
, and Tai ("Thái").
is the official language of the country. It is a language pertaining to the Austroasiatic language family, a language family also including Khmer
, Mon
, etc. Vietnamese was spoken by 65.8 million people in Vietnam at the 1999 census. Another 1.6 million Vietnamese speakers are found outside of Vietnam. Thus Vietnamese is the most spoken language of the Austroasiatic family, being spoken by three times more people than the second most spoken language of the family, Khmer. Both languages, however, are extremely different: under the influence of Chinese, Vietnamese has become a tonal language, while Khmer has remained non-tonal. Vietnamese was heavily influenced by Chinese and a great part of the Vietnamese vocabulary is Chinese, while Khmer was heavily influenced by Sanskrit
and Pali
and a great part of its vocabulary is now made up of Indian words, so that both languages look very dissimilar on the surface. Since the early 20th century, the Vietnamese have used a Romanized script introduced by the French. (See Vietnamese language
).
(2008 est.)
(2008 est.)
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Originating in what is now southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and northern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, the Vietnamese people
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
pushed southward over two millennia to occupy the entire eastern seacoast of the Indochinese Peninsula
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
. Ethnic Vietnamese, or Viet (known officially as Kinh), live in the lowlands and speak the Vietnamese language
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
. This group dominates much of the cultural and political landscape of Vietnam.
UN estimates
| Total population | Population aged 0-14 (%) | Population aged 15-64 (%) | Population aged 65+ (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 28 264 | 31.9 | 63.9 | 4.2 |
| 1955 | 31 329 | 35.6 | 60.1 | 4.3 |
| 1960 | 35 173 | 40.1 | 55.5 | 4.4 |
| 1965 | 39 885 | 44.1 | 51.3 | 4.6 |
| 1970 | 44 928 | 44.2 | 50.9 | 4.8 |
| 1975 | 49 896 | 42.9 | 52.3 | 4.8 |
| 1980 | 54 023 | 40.7 | 54.3 | 4.9 |
| 1985 | 60 307 | 39.4 | 55.7 | 4.9 |
| 1990 | 67 102 | 38.0 | 57.0 | 5.0 |
| 1995 | 74 008 | 36.5 | 58.4 | 5.1 |
| 2000 | 78 758 | 32.1 | 62.3 | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 83 161 | 27.3 | 66.8 | 5.9 |
| 2010 | 87 848 | 23.6 | 70.4 | 6.0 |
UN estimates of births and deaths
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-1955 | 1 335 000 | 722 000 | 613 000 | 44.8 | 24.2 | 20.6 | 6.20 | 157.9 |
| 1955-1960 | 1 533 000 | 764 000 | 769 000 | 46.1 | 23.0 | 23.1 | 6.76 | 143.7 |
| 1960-1965 | 1 732 000 | 790 000 | 942 000 | 46.2 | 21.0 | 25.2 | 7.33 | 130.3 |
| 1965-1970 | 1 798 000 | 790 000 | 1 009 000 | 42.4 | 18.6 | 23.8 | 7.38 | 117.8 |
| 1970-1975 | 1 853 000 | 859 000 | 994 000 | 39.1 | 18.1 | 21.0 | 7.15 | 118.4 |
| 1975-1980 | 1 797 000 | 760 000 | 1 036 000 | 34.6 | 14.6 | 20.0 | 5.89 | 97.6 |
| 1980-1985 | 1 952 000 | 630 000 | 1 322 000 | 34.1 | 11.0 | 23.1 | 4.93 | 70.0 |
| 1985-1990 | 2 000 000 | 574 000 | 1 425 000 | 31.4 | 9.0 | 22.4 | 3.96 | 54.8 |
| 1990-1995 | 1 929 000 | 484 000 | 1 444 000 | 27.3 | 6.9 | 20.4 | 3.23 | 37.9 |
| 1995-2000 | 1 448 000 | 441 000 | 1 007 000 | 19.0 | 5.8 | 13.2 | 2.18 | 29.2 |
| 2000-2005 | 1 392 000 | 425 000 | 967 000 | 17.2 | 5.3 | 11.9 | 1.93 | 23.1 |
| 2005-2010 | 1 472 000 | 448 000 | 1 024 000 | 17.2 | 5.2 | 12.0 | 1.89 | 20.4 |
- CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)
Birth, death and fertility rates
| Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate (children per woman) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 18.6 | 5.1 | 13.5 | 2.25 |
| 2002 | 19.0 | 5.8 | 13.2 | 2.28 |
| 2003 | 17.5 | 5.8 | 11.7 | 2.12 |
| 2004 | 19.2 | 5.4 | 13.8 | 2.23 |
| 2005 | 18.6 | 5.3 | 13.3 | 2.11 |
| 2006 | 17.4 | 5.3 | 12.1 | 2.09 |
| 2007 | 16.9 | 5.3 | 11.6 | 2.07 |
| 2008 | 16.7 | 5.3 | 11.4 | 2.08 |
| 2009 | 17.6 | 6.8 | 10.8 | 2.03 |
| 2010 | 17.1 | 6.8 | 10.3 | 2.00 |
Figures for 2010 are preliminary.
Ethnic groups
The Vietnamese government recognizes 54 ethnic groups, of which the Viet (Kinh) is the largest; according to official Vietnamese figures (1999 census), ethnic Vietnamese account for 86% of the nation's population. The ethnic Vietnamese inhabit a little less than half of Vietnam, while the ethnic minorities inhabit the majority of Vietnam's land (albeit the least fertile parts of the country).The Khmer Krom
Khmer Krom
The Khmer Krom are Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta and the Lower Mekong River area. Under the Khmer Rouge regime- according to the conservative estimates are that 150,000. Under the rule of Vietnam from 1979-93, Cambodia may have lost 20,000 Khmer Krom...
are found in the delta of the Mekong River, in the south of Vietnam, where they form in many areas the majority of the rural population. They live in an area which was previously part of Cambodia and which Vietnam conquered in the 17th and 18th centuries. Official Vietnamese figures put the Khmer Krom at 1.3 million people. However, estimates vary from 1.1 to 7 million.
Vietnam's approximately 1 million ethnic Chinese, constitute one of Vietnam's largest minority groups. Long important in the Vietnamese economy, Vietnamese of Chinese ancestry have been active in rice trading, milling, real estate, and banking in the south and shopkeeping, stevedoring, and mining in the north. Restrictions on economic activity following reunification in 1975 and the subsequent but unrelated general deterioration in Vietnamese-Chinese relations sent chills through the Chinese-Vietnamese community.
The relation between China and Vietnam also declined in this period, with Vietnam siding with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
against China in the Chinese-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
. Tensions peaked when Vietnam invaded Cambodia
Cambodian-Vietnamese War
The Cambodian–Vietnamese War was an armed conflict between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Democratic Kampuchea. The war began with isolated clashes along the land and maritime boundaries of Vietnam and Kampuchea between 1975 and 1977, occasionally involving division-sized military formations...
, an ally of China, to depose Pol Pot
Pol Pot
Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....
, resulting in a Chinese invasion of Vietnam
Sino-Vietnamese War
The Sino–Vietnamese War , also known as the Third Indochina War, known in the PRC as and in Vietnam as Chiến tranh chống bành trướng Trung Hoa , was a brief but bloody border war fought in 1979 between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...
in 1979. In 1978-79, some 450,000 ethnic Chinese left Vietnam by boat as refugees (many officially encouraged and assisted) or were expelled across the land border with China. However in recent years the government has performed an about turn and is encouraging overseas Hoa to return and invest.
The central highland peoples commonly termed Degar
Degar
The Degar are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The term Montagnard means "mountain people" in French and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. In Vietnamese, they are known by the term thượng - this term can also be applied to other minority ethnic...
or Montagnards (mountain people) comprise two main ethnolinguistic groups--Malayo-Polynesian and Mon–Khmer. About 30 groups of various cultures and dialects are spread over the highland territory.
Other minority groups include the Cham--remnants of the once-mighty Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
Kingdom, conquered by the Vietnamese in the 15th century, Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
, and Tai ("Thái").
| Ethnic group |
Language family |
census 1989 | census 1999 | census 2009 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Kinh | Vietic | 56,101,583 | 87.1 | 65,795,748 | 86.2 | 73,594,427 | 85.7 |
| Tày Tay people The Tày people speak a language of the Central Tai language group, and live in northern Vietnam. They are sometimes also called Thô, T'o, Tai Tho, Ngan, Phen, Thu Lao, or Pa Di.... |
Tai-Kadai | 1,145,235 | 1.8 | 1,477,514 | 1.9 | 1,626,392 | 1.9 |
| Thai Thai people The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of... |
Tai-Kadai | 992,809 | 1.5 | 1,328,725 | 1.7 | 1,550,423 | 1.8 |
| Mường Muong people The Mường is the third largest of Vietnam’s 53 minority groups, with an estimated population of 1.2 million. The Muong people inhabit the mountainous region of northern Vietnam, concentrated in Hoa Binh Province and the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa Province. They are most closely related to... |
Vietic | 874,195 | 1.4 | 1,137,515 | 1.5 | 1,268,963 | 1.5 |
| Khmer Khmer people Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia... |
Mon-Khmer | 872,382 | 1.4 | 1,055,174 | 1.4 | 1,260,640 | 1.5 |
| Mong Hmong people The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China... |
Hmong-Dao Hmong-Mien languages The Hmong–Mien, or Miao–Yao, languages are a language family of southern China and Southeast Asia. They are spoken in mountainous areas of southern China, including Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, and Hubei provinces, where its speakers have been relegated to being "hill people," while... |
787,604 | 1.0 | 1,068,189 | 1.2 | ||
| Nùng Nung people The Nùng are an ethnic minority in Vietnam. In China, the Nùng, together with the Tày, are classified as Zhuang people.-Description:The population of the Nùng is estimated to be more than 700,000... |
Tai-Kadai | 696,305 | 1.1 | 856,412 | 1.1 | 968,800 | 1.1 |
| Hoa | Chinese Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages... |
961,702 | 1.5 | 862,371 | 1.1 | 823,071 | 1.0 |
| Dao Yao people The Yao nationality is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south... |
Hmong-Dao Hmong-Mien languages The Hmong–Mien, or Miao–Yao, languages are a language family of southern China and Southeast Asia. They are spoken in mountainous areas of southern China, including Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, and Hubei provinces, where its speakers have been relegated to being "hill people," while... |
620,538 | 0.81 | 751,067 | 0.87 | ||
| Gia Rai | Malayo-Polynesian | 317,557 | 0.42 | 411,275 | 0.48 | ||
| Ê Đê E De people The E De are an ethnic group of southern Vietnam .-Language:The E De language is a member of the Chamic group of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family... |
Malayo-Polynesian | 270,348 | 0.35 | 331,194 | 0.39 | ||
| Ba Na Bahnar people The Bahnar are an ethnic group of Vietnam living primarily in the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên... |
Mon-Khmer | 174,456 | 0.23 | 227,716 | 0.27 | ||
| Xơ Đăng Xo Dang people The Xo Dang are an ethnic group of Vietnam.Their main source of income is farming. They are also known to be involved with raising cattle and poultry.Religiously, they are largely animistic... |
Mon-Khmer | 127,148 | 0.17 | 169,501 | 0.20 | ||
| Sán Chay San Chay people The San Chay people live in the Tuyên Quang province of northeastern Vietnam, as well as some nearby provinces. They speak a Tai language. Their population was 147,315 in 1999.... |
Tai-Kadai | 147,315 | 0.19 | 169,410 | 0.20 | ||
| Cờ Ho K'Ho people The K'Ho are an ethnic group living in the Lâm Đồng province of Vietnam's Central Highlands. They speak a Mon–Khmer language.The Lạch people, a subgroup of K'Ho, is the indigenous group of Lâm Đồng... |
Mon-Khmer | 128,723 | 0.17 | 166,112 | 0.19 | ||
| Chăm | Malayo-Polynesian | 132,873 | 0.17 | 161,729 | 0.19 | ||
| Sán Dìu San Diu people The Sán Dìu is an ethnic group in northern Vietnam. They are believed to have migrated from Guangdong around 1600 CE.... |
Chinese Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages... |
126,237 | 0.17 | 146,821 | 0.17 | ||
| Ra Glai Raglai people The Raglai are an ethnic group of Vietnam. They are related to the Cham, with a population of approximately 97,000... |
Malayo-Polynesian | 96,931 | 0.13 | 122,245 | 0.14 | ||
| M'Nông | Mon-Khmer | 92,451 | 0.12 | 102,741 | 0.12 | ||
| Xtiêng Stieng people The Stieng people are an ethnic group of Vietnam and Cambodia. They speak a language in the Bahnaric group of the Mon–Khmer languages.Most Stieng live in the Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province of southeastern Vietnam... |
Mon-Khmer | 66,788 | 0.09 | 85,436 | 0.10 | ||
| Bru-Vân Kiều | Mon-Khmer | 55,559 | 0.07 | 74,506 | 0.09 | ||
| Thổ Tho people The Thổ ethnic group inhabits the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam, mainly Nghệ An province southwest of Hanoi. They speak the Tho language, which is closely related to Vietnamese... |
Vietic | 68,394 | 0.09 | 74,458 | 0.09 | ||
| Khơ Mú Khmu people The Khmu is one of the largest ethnic groups based in northern Laos. They can also be found in Burma, southwest China , Thailand, and Vietnam, where they are an officially recognized ethnic group... |
Mon-Khmer | 56,542 | 0.07 | 72,929 | 0.08 | ||
| Hrê H're people The H're people are an ethnic group of Vietnam, speaking a language in the Mon–Khmer family. Most H're live in the Quảng Ngãi and Bình Định provinces of Vietnam's South Central Coast, and number approximately 113,111 .... |
Mon-Khmer | 113,111 | 0.15 | 63,012 | 0.07 | ||
| Cơ Tu Co Tu people The Co Tu are an ethnic group in Vietnam. Most Co Tu live in the provinces of Thừa Thiên -Huế and Quảng Nam. The population in Vietnam was 50,458 in 1999 census and 61,588 in 2009 census... |
Mon-Khmer | 50,458 | 0.07 | 61,588 | 0.07 | ||
| Giáy Giay people The Giáy are an ethnic group in Vietnam who speak the Buyei language. Most live in the Lào Cai, Hà Giang, Lai Châu, and Cao Bằng provinces of northern Vietnam. In 1999 the population was 49,098.... |
Tai-Kadai | 49,098 | 0.06 | 58,617 | 0.07 | ||
| Giẻ Triêng Gie Trieng people The Gie Trieng people are an ethnic group in Vietnam. Most Gie Trieng live in the province of Kon Tum, in Vietnam's Central Highlands region, and in 1999 the population was 30,243... |
Mon-Khmer | 30,243 | 0.04 | 50,962 | 0.06 | ||
| Tà Ôi Ta Oi people The Tà Ôi is an ethnic group of Vietnam . They speak a Mon–Khmer language and are concentrated in A Lưới district of Thừa Thiên-Huế province and Hương Hóa district of Quảng Trị province.... |
Mon-Khmer | 34,960 | 0.05 | 43,886 | 0.05 | ||
| Mạ Ma people The Ma are a Mon–Khmer-speaking people in Vietnam .... |
Mon-Khmer | 33,338 | 0.04 | 41,405 | 0.05 | ||
| Co Cor people The Cor are an ethnic group of Vietnam. Most Cor live in the provinces Quảng Ngãi and Quảng Nam of South Central Vietnam, and number approximately 27,766 .... |
Mon-Khmer | 27,766 | 0.04 | 33,817 | 0.04 | ||
| Chơ Ro Cho Ro people The Cho Ro are a Mon–Khmer people in Vietnam. Most Cho Ro live in the Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Bình Thuận, Lâm Đồng, and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces. The population was 22 567 in 1999.... |
Mon-Khmer | 22,567 | 0.03 | 26,855 | 0.03 | ||
| Xinh Mun Xinh Mun people The Xinh Mun is an ethnic group living primarily in the provinces of Sơn La and Lai Chau, in northwestern Vietnam... |
Mon-Khmer | 18,018 | 0.02 | 23,278 | 0.03 | ||
| Chu Ru Churu people The Churu people live in Lâm Đồng province, in Vietnam's Central Highlands. The group's population is approximately 15,000. They speak a Malayo-Polynesian language.During the French colonial period the most influential highland leaders in the Da Lat area were Churu... |
Malayo-Polynesian | 14,978 | 0.02 | 19,314 | 0.02 | ||
| Lao Lao people The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province... |
Tai-Kadai | 11,611 | 0.02 | 14,928 | 0.02 | ||
| Kháng Khang people The Khang people are one of indigenous group in northwestern Vietnam. As of 1999, their population was 10,272.Most Khang live in the Sơn La and Lai Châu provinces of northwestern Vietnam.... |
Mon-Khmer | 10,272 | 0.01 | 13,840 | 0.02 | ||
| La Chí Lachi people The La Chi people live in the Hà Giang and Lào Cai provinces of northeastern Vietnam. Their population is approximately 10,765 people . They speak the Lachi language, which is part of the Kradai language group.... |
Tai-Kadai | 10,765 | 0.01 | 13,158 | 0.02 | ||
| Hà Nhì Hani people thumb|Typical daily attire of ethnic Hani in China. Near [[Yuanyang County, Yunnan|Yuanyang]], [[Yunnan]] Province, [[China]] The Hani people are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 nationalities officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They also form one of the 54 officially... |
Tibeto-Burman | 17,535 | 0.02 | 10,923 | 0.01 | ||
| La Hủ Lahu people The Lahu are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia and China.They are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where about 450,000 live in Yunnan province. An estimated 150,000 live in Burma. In Thailand, Lahu are one of the six main hill tribes; their... |
Tibeto-Burman | 6,874 | 0.01 | 9,651 | 0.01 | ||
| La Ha Laha people The La Ha are an ethnic group of Vietnam. Most La Ha live in the Yên Bái and Sơn La provinces, and number approximately 5,686 people . They speak the Laha language, which is part of the Tai–Kadai language family.... |
Tai-Kadai | 5,686 | 0.01 | 8,177 | 0.01 | ||
| Pà Thẻn Pa Then people The Pa Then are an ethnic group of Vietnam. Most Pa Then live in the Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang provinces in the northern part of Vietnam's northeastern region... |
Hmong-Dao Hmong-Mien languages The Hmong–Mien, or Miao–Yao, languages are a language family of southern China and Southeast Asia. They are spoken in mountainous areas of southern China, including Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, and Hubei provinces, where its speakers have been relegated to being "hill people," while... |
5,569 | 0.01 | 6,811 | 0.01 | ||
| Chứt Chut people The Chut are a small ethnic group located in the Minh Hóa and Tuyên Hóa districts of Quảng Bình Province, in Vietnam's North Central Coast. There are multiple sub-ethnic groups within the Chut designation including the Rục, Mày, Arem, Mã Liêng, and Sách... |
Vietic | 3,829 | 0.01 | 6,022 | 0.01 | ||
| Lự Lu people The Tai Lü people are an ethnic group of Vietnam, China, and Thailand. In Vietnam, most Lu live in the Lai Chau Province, and their population was 4,964 in 1999. In China, they are officially recognized as part of the Dai ethnic group. They speak a Tai language.Lu is the indigenous people in Mường... |
Tai-Kadai | 4,964 | 0.01 | 5,601 | 0.01 | ||
| Phù Lá Phù Lá The Phù Lá are an ethnic group of Vietnam and China. Most Phù Lá live in the Lào Cai province of northeastern Vietnam, and their population in Vietnam is approximately 9,046... |
Tibeto-Burman | 9,046 | 0.01 | 5,535 | 0.01 | ||
| Mảng Mang people The Mang are an ethnic group living primarily in Vietnam, where they are one of that nation's 54 officially recognized ethnic groups. There are also about 500 Mang living in the Yunnan province of southern China, where they are officially termed an undistinguished nationality.The Mang language is... |
Mon-Khmer | 2,663 | 0.00 | 3,700 | 0.00 | ||
| Cờ Lao | Tai-Kadai | 1,865 | 0.00 | 2,636 | 0.00 | ||
| Bố Y Buyei The Buyei are an ethnic group living in southern mainland China. Numbering 2.5 million, they are the 11th largest of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China... |
Tai-Kadai | 1,864 | 0.00 | 2,273 | 0.00 | ||
| Lô Lô Yi people The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China... |
Tibeto-Burman | 3,307 | 0.00 | 2,218 | 0.00 | ||
| Cống | Tibeto-Burman | 1,676 | 0.00 | 2,029 | 0.00 | ||
| Ngái Ngái The Ngái are an Hakka ethnic group in Vietnam and other nearby countries of mainland Southeast Asia and China. The Ngái are Chinese-speaking but are classified separately from the urban ethnic Chinese or Hoa. According a official data, Ngai population is 4,841 in 1999 and down to 1.035 in 2009... |
Chinese Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages... |
4,841 | 0.01 | 1,035 | 0.00 | ||
| Si La Si La The Si La are an ethnic group of about 1,800 people living in northern Laos and another 600 living in the Lai Chau province of northwestern Vietnam.... |
Tibeto-Burman | 840 | 0.00 | 709 | 0.00 | ||
| Pu Péo Qabiao people The Qabiao people are an ethnic group living in Hà Giang, Vietnam, and Yunnan Province, China. and the total population was 705 in 1999, while Liang cites a total population of 777. In China, they are classified with the Yi people... |
Tai-Kadai | 705 | 0.00 | 687 | 0.00 | ||
| Rơ Măm Ro Mam people The Rơ Măm people are a small ethnic group in Vietnam . They speak a language in the Central Bahnaric branch of the Mon–Khmer family.-External links:*... |
Mon-Khmer | 352 | 0.00 | 436 | 0.00 | ||
| Brâu Brau people The Brau people are an ethnic group living in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In Vietnam, most Brau live in Kon Tum, and the population was 313 in 1999. They speak a Mon–Khmer language.The Brau have only two surnames: Thao and Nang... |
Mon-Khmer | 313 | 0.00 | 397 | 0.00 | ||
| Ơ Đu | Mon-Khmer | 301 | 0.00 | 376 | 0.00 | ||
| Foreigners | 39,532 | 0.05 | 2,134 | 0.00 | |||
| Others | 2,767,512 | 4.3 | 1,333 | 0.0 | 82,942 | 0.0 | |
| Total | 64,411,713 | 76,323,173 | 85,846,997 | ||||
Language
VietnameseVietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
is the official language of the country. It is a language pertaining to the Austroasiatic language family, a language family also including Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
, Mon
Mon language
The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. Mon, like the related language Cambodian—but unlike most languages in Mainland Southeast Asia—is not tonal. Mon is spoken by more than a million people today. In recent years, usage of Mon has...
, etc. Vietnamese was spoken by 65.8 million people in Vietnam at the 1999 census. Another 1.6 million Vietnamese speakers are found outside of Vietnam. Thus Vietnamese is the most spoken language of the Austroasiatic family, being spoken by three times more people than the second most spoken language of the family, Khmer. Both languages, however, are extremely different: under the influence of Chinese, Vietnamese has become a tonal language, while Khmer has remained non-tonal. Vietnamese was heavily influenced by Chinese and a great part of the Vietnamese vocabulary is Chinese, while Khmer was heavily influenced by Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
and a great part of its vocabulary is now made up of Indian words, so that both languages look very dissimilar on the surface. Since the early 20th century, the Vietnamese have used a Romanized script introduced by the French. (See Vietnamese language
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
).
Religions
- BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 85%- Secular/triple religionReligion in VietnamThe earliest established religions in Vietnam are Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism . Significant minorities of adherents to Roman Catholicism, Cao Dai, and Hoa Hao and smaller minorities of adherents to Hinduism, Islam, Protestantism and Theravada Buddhism exist.The majority of...
, 80% - Hoa HaoHoa HaoHòa Hảo is a religious tradition, based on Buddhism, founded in 1939 by Huỳnh Phú Sổ, a native of the Mekong River Delta region of southern Vietnam. Adherents consider Sổ to be a prophet, and Hòa Hảo a continuation of a 19th-century Buddhist ministry known as Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương...
, 3% - Theravada Buddhism, 2%
- Secular/triple religion
- ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, 8%- Roman Catholic, 7%
- Protestant, 1%
- Cao DaiCao DaiCao Đài is a syncretistic, monotheistic religion, officially established in the city of Tay Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. Đạo Cao Đài is the religion's shortened name, the full name is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ...
, 3% - Other religions, 4%
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.98 male(s)/female
(2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 71.33 years
- male: 68.52 years
- female: 74.33 years
(2008 est.)
Literacy
- definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- total population: 94% (2004 consensus)
- male: 96.9%
- female: 91.9% (2012)