Vietnamese life expectancy increases by 30 years over half a century

In mid-August, 80-year-old Hanh and other alumni of the Chemistry Department, now the Hanoi National University, aged between 77 and 82, returned to their alma mater for a reunion.

With silver hair and some using walking aids, they gathered to meet old friends, share memories and reflect on their youth.

Hanh says her class had more than 80 students, who grew up and studied during challenging times.

The tradition of reunions has been maintained for decades, but each year fewer attend as some pass away and others suffer from health issues.

In the 1960s, when Hanh graduated, the average life expectancy for Vietnamese was around 45 years.

In 2024, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported it had increased to 74.7 years, more than two years higher than the global average.

In the past, wars, famines and diseases and high infant mortality rates due to lack of access to healthcare lowered the life expectancy rate.

The crude death rate (which measures the total number of deaths in a population over a given period, usually a year) in 1960-1965 was 21%, but decreased to 5.6% by 2024.

After the war ended, living conditions improved, society developed and public awareness of health grew.

Rapid advancements in medicine and enhanced healthcare and better access to it also helped increase life expectancy.

Vietnamese women live around five years longer than men; in 2024 their average lifespans were 77.3 and 72.3 years.

Life expectancy also varies by region, with areas such as the Central Highlands and northern mountainous regions averaging 72-72.8 years and the southeast, Red River Delta and Mekong Delta having higher lifespans of 75.7-76.5 years.

In major cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang, the average life expectancy exceeds 76 years, benefiting from economic development, better healthcare services and frequent health checkups.

In contrast, remotes areas with lower living standards and limited healthcare access have lower life expectancy rates.

Living longer but not healthier

Professor Dr. Nguyen Dinh Cu, former director of the Institute of Population and Social Issues at the National Economics University in Hanoi and an expert in population studies, says while Vietnam's average life expectancy is higher than the global average, the healthy life expectancy is lower.

He said in 2019, a 60-year-old man in Vietnam could expect to live an additional 12.9 healthy years, while a woman could expect 16.4 years, compared to 14.8 and 16.6 years globally.

Many seniors live with multiple health problems. Studies have found 48.5% of elderly people suffer from arthritis, nerve pain or rheumatism, 41% have hypertension, 30.3% have chronic back pain and 18.8% suffer from digestive disorders.

Many also have unhealthy lifestyles, including drinking or smoking excessively.

There are several factors contributing to the large number of years living with disease in Vietnam, including poor nutrition, unhealthy lifestyles, pollution, and the rise of lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular issues, cancer and diabetes.

Le Thanh Dung, director of the Ministry of Health's population department, says by 2038 one in every five Vietnamese will be over 60, making up 20% of the population.

The GSO forecasts Vietnam will have 17.2 million elderly people by 2030 and 27 million by 2049.

Vietnam has a traditional culture of "the young rely on their parents, and the elderly rely on their children," and most seniors follow it, living with their children.

But this trend is decreasing now that their numbers are increasing while those who have reached the age of having their own families decided to have only one child or not to get married at all, meaning there are less and less younger people to take care of the elderly.

Many families across Vietnam have seen stark generational shifts in the past decade.

These changes, starting in individual families, have rippled out to transform society, particularly in terms of population trends.

According to the GSO, in 2009 some 18% of elderly people lived alone or with just their spouse, and this figure had increased to 27% by 2019.

This means care of elderly people will become challenging.

Given the demographic challenges, experts recommend updating the elderly healthcare system to include long-term care, comprehensive support and improved quality of life.

This includes establishing programs for training geriatric doctors and developing young healthcare professionals.

Nguyen Trung Anh, director of the National Geriatric Hospital in Hanoi, called for developing specialist medical professionals in geriatric care and related fields for the prevention, treatment and management of chronic conditions such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders.

Recently, the Ministry of Health proposed offering scholarships and tuition support for students studying geriatrics to develop a skilled workforce for elderly care.

To address the aging of the population, the ministry also proposed policies such as government-sponsored health insurance for elderly people who do not have it. Currently, about 5% of seniors lack health insurance.

For Hanh, despite living with her children, she believes in being "independent" as she has a pension and health insurance and works hard to maintain her health.

She eats a balanced diet, has cut out salt, fat and sugar, exercises regularly, and takes supplements to compensate for possible deficiencies.

She also adheres to prescribed medications and attends checkups on schedule.

"I hope to participate in reunions and meet my old friends for many more years, to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling old age," she says.