Philippines vs Viet Nam
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
The Philippines and Vietnam are fast-growing Southeast Asian economies with similar population sizes (~110M each) but divergent growth models. Vietnam has pursued aggressive export-led industrialization, becoming a major manufacturing hub for Samsung, Apple suppliers, and Nike. The Philippines' growth is more services-driven, with business process outsourcing (BPO/call centers) employing over 1.3 million workers and remittances from overseas workers contributing ~10% of GDP. Vietnam's GDP has recently overtaken the Philippines', and its manufacturing sector is significantly larger.
Philippines has a GDP of $512.22B compared to Viet Nam's $527.27B, making it 1.0x smaller. Philippines's population is 116.8M vs Viet Nam's 101.6M. Across 12 key indicators, Viet Nam leads in 9 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Philippines |  Viet Nam |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $512.22B | $527.27B✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $4,443 | $5,115✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 4.1% | 7.1%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $13,639 | $19,649✓ |
| Population | 116.8M✓ | 101.6M |
| Life Expectancy | 69.9 years | 74.7 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 4.3%✓ | 4.9% |
| Unemployment (%) | 4.7% | 2.1%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 60.2% | 29.8%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.9 | 1.9✓ |
| Gini Index | 39.3 | 36.1✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 1.5✓ | 4.3 |
Summary
Philippines has a GDP of $512.22B compared to Viet Nam's $527.27B, making the latter economy 1.0x larger. In terms of population, Philippines has 116.8M people while Viet Nam has 101.6M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Philippines leads in 3 and Viet Nam leads in 9.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Philippines | Viet Nam |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $512.22B2026 | $527.27B2026 |
| World Bank | $487.09B2025 | $514.70B2025 |
| United Nations | $461.62B2024 | $476.39B2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Philippines spans about 11% across 2 years; Viet Nam spans about 11% across 2 years.
| Source | Philippines | Viet Nam |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $4,4432026 | $5,1152026 |
| World Bank | $4,1712025 | $5,0662025 |
| United Nations | $3,9852024 | $4,7172024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Philippines spans about 11% across 2 years; Viet Nam spans about 8% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
PhilippinesViet Nam