What every visitor should know about Vietnam:

Money
The currency is the Vietnamese dong (đồng) (VND). 10000 VND is worth about US$0.55, or €0.38.
Crime
CrimeSafe Travel Score™: 4 out of 5 (Safe)

Areas of concern:

  • Mugging
  • Pick-pocketing / bag-snatching
  • Armed robbery is rare but occurs
  • Robberies in unlicensed taxis
Capital
Hanoi
Tap water
Not recommended. Water is usually drinkable in large cities, but quality is uneven.

Vietnam facts and figures:

People

Population
86,967,524
Language
Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Ethnicity
Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1%

Economy

GDP
US$2,900 (per capita)
Income equality
High
Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. More guides: ►Africa ►Americas ►Asia ►Europe ►Middle East ►Pacific