Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam
Vietnam: Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents was 21.58 million people in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam is 21.58 million people, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 58.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam peaked at 21.58 million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.17 million people, in 1950.
Vietnam ranks 17th of 182 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.17 million people | — |
| 1955 | 1.27 million people | +8.4% |
| 1960 | 1.46 million people | +15.0% |
| 1965 | 2.82 million people | +92.9% |
| 1970 | 3.26 million people | +15.4% |
| 1975 | 3.88 million people | +19.1% |
| 1980 | 4.67 million people | +20.3% |
| 1985 | 5.32 million people | +14.0% |
| 1990 | 5.98 million people | +12.4% |
| 1995 | 7.53 million people | +25.9% |
| 2000 | 9.03 million people | +19.9% |
| 2005 | 10.90 million people | +20.7% |
| 2010 | 13.58 million people | +24.7% |
| 2015 | 17.06 million people | +25.6% |
| 2020 | 21.58 million people | +26.5% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 21.58 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.95 million people, 11.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 21.58 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.82 million people, 5.7× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | +92.9% | 1.46 million people | 2.82 million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.22 million people | 1.17 million people | 1.27 million people | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.14 million people | 1.46 million people | 2.82 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 3.57 million people | 3.26 million people | 3.88 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 4.99 million people | 4.67 million people | 5.32 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 6.76 million people | 5.98 million people | 7.53 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.96 million people | 9.03 million people | 10.90 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 15.32 million people | 13.58 million people | 17.06 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 21.58 million people | 21.58 million people | 21.58 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More reference data data for Vietnam
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 16.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 12.35 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 18.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 23.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 93.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.27 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam?
- Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Vietnam was 21.58 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents recorded in Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 21.58 million people in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.17 million people in 1950.
- How does Vietnam rank for number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents?
- Vietnam ranks 17th out of 182 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vietnam data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total population living in cities with 1 million or more people. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.