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What is the population of Vietnamese people around the world?

08/04/2025
Population Information

The overseas Vietnamese population worldwide in 2025 is estimated at about 5-6 million people, with the majority residing in the US and Cambodia.

overview

The overseas Vietnamese community was formed mainly from the wave of migration after the Vietnam War (1975), along with later waves of labor and study migration. Overseas Vietnamese have a strong presence in North America, Europe, Oceania, and some Asian countries. The total population of Vietnam in 2025 is estimated at about 100,1 million people (World Population Review), but the global overseas Vietnamese population is estimated at about 5-6 million people, accounting for 5-6% of the total population of Vietnamese origin worldwide.

Total population of overseas Vietnamese worldwide

According to sources such as UN Data, Pew Research, and MPI, the global Vietnamese population in 2025 is estimated at approximately 5-6 million people:

  • First generation (direct immigration): About 2,5-3 million people, mainly refugees after 1975 and exported workers from the 1990s-2000s.
  • Next generation (born abroad): About 2,5-3 million people are descendants of immigrants, especially in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The total population of Vietnamese origin worldwide (including domestic) is estimated at approximately 105-106 million people, of which overseas Vietnamese account for 5-6%.

Distribution by region

  1. North America:
    • USA: Approximately 2,4 million people (Pew Research 2023, adjusted 2025). This is the largest Vietnamese community in the world, concentrated in California (Orange County, San Jose), Texas (Houston), and Virginia. The Vietnamese are the 4th largest Asian ethnic group in the United States.
    • Glen: About 0,25 million people (Statistics Canada 2021: 240.615, adjusted for 2025). Mainly in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
    • North America total: 2,6-2,7 million people (accounting for ~50% of overseas Vietnamese worldwide).
  2. Europe:
    • France: About 0,35 million people (INSEE 2023: 300.000-350.000). An old community since colonial times, concentrated in Paris and its surroundings.
    • Virtue: About 0,22 million people (Statista 2023: 215.000). Including “boat people” refugees and workers from the former East Germany, mainly in Berlin, Leipzig.
    • Older brother: About 0,1 million people (UK Census 2021: 90.000-100.000). Concentrated in London.
    • Other countries (Poland, Russia, Czech): About 0,1-0,15 million people (UN Data 2020).
    • Europe total: 0,7-0,8 million people (~15% overseas Vietnamese).
  3. Oceania:
    • Australia: Approximately 0,35 million people (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2023: 334.000, adjusted 2025). Concentrated in Sydney, Melbourne.
    • New Zealand: Approximately 0,015 million people (Stats NZ 2023: 12.000-15.000).
    • Oceania total: 0,36-0,37 million people (~7% overseas Vietnamese).
  4. Asia:
    • Japan: About 0,5 million people (UN Data 2020: 336.000, increasing strongly due to labor and international students, adjusted for 2025). Concentrated in Tokyo, Osaka.
    • Korea: About 0,2 million people (Statista 2023: ~200.000). Mainly Vietnamese workers and brides, in Seoul, Busan.
    • Cambodia: Approximately 0,7-0,8 million people (Danso.org 2024: ~700.000). An old community since the 17th century, living near Phnom Penh, Tonle Sap.
    • Thailand: About 0,05 million people (World Population Review 2023: ~50.000). Mostly former refugees in Northeastern Thailand.
    • Laos: About 0,02 million people (UN Data 2020: ~20.000).
    • China: About 0,03 million people (UN Data 2020: ~30.000, mainly in Guangxi).
    • Asia total: 1,5-1,6 million people (~30% overseas Vietnamese).
  5. Other regions (Africa, Latin America):
    • Very small, about 0,01–0,02 million people (UN Data), mainly in South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina.
Overseas Vietnamese population
A Vietnamese neighborhood in America

Gender structure

  • Vietnam: Sex ratio 96 males/100 females (World Population Review 2025).
  • Overseas Vietnamese:
    • North America, Europe, Australia: Nearly balanced (50/50) due to family migration.
    • Japan, South Korea: Leaning toward women (~55% female) due to international marriage (Pew Research 2023).
    • Cambodia, Thailand: Male bias (~52% male) due to labor.
    • Global average: ~49% male, 51% female.

Age structure

  • Overseas Vietnamese:
    • Under 15 years old: 15-20% (~0,75-1,2 million people), mainly the foreign-born generation.
    • 15-64 years old: 70-75% (~3,5-4,5 million people), including workers and integrated young generation.
    • Over 65 years old: 5-10% (~0,25-0,6 million people), mainly aging first-generation refugees.
  • The overseas Vietnamese community is generally younger than the Vietnamese population (average age 32,9 years), but is aging in Western countries.

Population change

  • Historical migration: The largest wave after 1975 (1-2 million people), gradually decreasing from the 1990s.
  • Present: Increase due to labor export (Japan, Korea: ~50.000-70.000 people/year) and family reunification (US, Canada), but growth rate slows down due to integration and birth rate reduction in the second generation (MPI 2023).
  • Increase speed: 1-2% per year in Asia, near steady in the West.

Forecast

  • By 2035: The overseas Vietnamese population could reach 6-7 million people thanks to labor migration (Japan, Korea) and family reunification, but is decreasing in developed countries due to aging and integration.
  • By 2050: It could reach 7-8 million if migration continues, or stabilize at 5-6 million if restrictive policies increase (as in the US, Europe).

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