Viet Nam vs India
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Vietnam and India are two of Asia's fastest-growing economies, both benefiting from manufacturing diversification away from China. Vietnam's economy is much smaller (roughly one-tenth of India's) but has attracted outsized foreign investment relative to its size, particularly from Samsung, which accounts for roughly 20% of Vietnam's total exports. India has a far larger domestic market and a stronger services sector (IT, financial services), while Vietnam has executed export-led manufacturing more effectively. Both countries have young populations and significant growth potential.
Viet Nam has a GDP of $527.27B compared to India's $4.15T, making it 7.9x smaller. Viet Nam's population is 101.6M vs India's 1.46B. Across 12 key indicators, both countries are evenly matched in categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Viet Nam |  India |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $527.27B | $4.15T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $5,115✓ | $2,813 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 7.1%✓ | 6.5% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $19,649✓ | $12,801 |
| Population | 101.6M | 1.46B✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 74.7 years✓ | 72.2 years |
| Inflation (%) | 4.9% | 4.7%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.1%✓ | 4.9% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 29.8%✓ | 83.4% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.9 | 2✓ |
| Gini Index | 36.1 | 25.5✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 4.3 | 2.2✓ |
Summary
Viet Nam has a GDP of $527.27B compared to India's $4.15T, making the latter economy 7.9x larger. In terms of population, Viet Nam has 101.6M people while India has 1.46B. Across the 12 indicators compared, Viet Nam leads in 6 and India leads in 6.
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 | Viet Nam | India |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $527.27B2026 | $4.15T2026 |
| World Bank | $514.70B2025 | $3.96T2025 |
| United Nations | $476.39B2024 | $3.95T2024 |
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. Viet Nam spans about 11% across 2 years; India spans about 5% across 2 years.
| Source | Viet Nam | India |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $5,1152026 | $2,8132026 |
| World Bank | $5,0662025 | $2,7022025 |
| United Nations | $4,7172024 | $2,7242024 |
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. Viet Nam spans about 8% across 2 years; India spans about 4% across 1 year.
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.