Vietnam

Population

The country's population is over 100 million. About 70% of the country's residents are between 15 and 60 years of age. The average age is 30 years.

4 million people are still illiterate (cannot read and write). At the same time, the literacy rate among young people (15 to 24 years old) is 98 per cent.

It is also predicted that by 2030, 50 per cent of the population will live in urban areas, and by the end of 2069, this figure will be 64.8 per cent.

Religion: the majority of Vietnamese practice folk beliefs, worshipping nature spirits, gods, sacred trees.

In addition, the ‘cult of ancestors’ (a mixture of Mahayana Buddhism and ancient traditions) is widespread here, so in the houses of many Vietnamese people there are altars in honour of deceased relatives.

Buddhism is the second most popular religion in the country, it is professed by about 16%, about 8% - Christians and Catholics, 30% - atheists.

Major cities: Hanoi (capital), Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hai Phong, Cantho.

Currency: Dong (VND). 100 VND = $0.0040.

Financial Opportunities

The minimum wage is about $200 per month and the average wage is about $500 per month. The unemployment rate in Vietnam is approximately 8%.

The overall multidimensional poverty rate (citizens earn less than $1.9 per day) in 2023 showed just over 2.9%, with a cashless rate of 33% in poor areas.

Mentality

Family interests come first for every Vietnamese.

The country's population is very patriotic. Even uneducated residents can easily name the most significant dates for the country, names of rulers and cultural figures. Vietnamese attach special importance to emotionality, hospitality and empathy.

The sense of personal space is absent in Vietnam: it is considered normal to snuggle in transport, to look into the phone, etc. Unpunctuality is also widespread among the inhabitants of the country: to be late or not to come to a meeting without warning is the order of the day.

The word ‘no’ is considered very offensive here, so many Vietnamese do not keep promises.

Internet availability

In September 2023, the number of internet users reached 78 million, while the number of mobile access subscribers rose to 86.6 million, an increase of 38 per cent.

Popular web apps include Zalo (WhatsApp analogue), Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, Instagram.

Player preferences

Slots, blackjack, baccarat, poker and live games are popular in Vietnam.

Vietnamese are very enthusiastic about betting on sports (football, basketball, futsal - a variation of five-on-five indoor football, Australian football), including betting on horse racing, dog racing, and cockfighting.

Back in 2019, the authorities launched a pilot project that gave citizens the opportunity to gamble legally at the Phu Quoc land-based casino. Initially, the project was designed only for tourists.

It was planned that the programme would end at the beginning of 2022. But the period was decided to extend until the end of 2024. Probably, the income from local residents influenced such a step of the authorities. From 2019 to 2023, casinos attracted 62% of locals and 38% of foreign citizens.

The popularity of gambling among the Vietnamese population is confirmed not only by the statistics of visits to land-based casinos, but also by the increasing arrests of criminal gangs in the territory of the country engaged in illegal gambling activities.

Recently, Vietnamese law enforcement agencies arrested 12 people who supervised an illegal online casino with 30 offices across the country and more than a thousand players from various Asian countries. About $72,000 in cash was seized from the detainees, as well as jewellery, laptops, tablets and weapons.