The GSO recently published an in-depth analysis of Vietnamese citizens working overseas, based on findings from the 2025 Labour Force Survey.
Vietnamese people working overseas (Photo: Son Nguyen).
The report shows that 412,000 Vietnamese workers had been employed abroad during the previous three years at the time of the survey. Men accounted for 243,200 workers, or 59 per cent of the total, while women made up 168,800 workers, or 41 per cent.
Workers from rural areas continued to dominate overseas employment, accounting for 84.6 per cent of the total.
Overall, Vietnamese migrant workers remained relatively young, with a median age of 27 and little difference between men and women.
Compared with 2021, the median age declined by one year, reflecting a clear trend towards a younger overseas workforce. This shift was also evident in the increasing share of workers aged 15 to 24, which rose from 31.4 per cent in 2021 to 35 per cent in 2025.
The trend was further reflected in marital status data. The proportion of overseas workers who had never married increased from 52.4 per cent to 61.1 per cent over the same period, with growth recorded among both male and female workers.
In contrast, Vietnam’s domestic workforce has been ageing as a result of longer life expectancy and persistently low birth rates. The median age of the labour force at home increased from 40 to 42 years during the period.
Changing regional distribution
The geographical distribution of overseas workers has also shifted significantly.
In 2021, around 83 per cent of Vietnamese workers abroad came from the north central coast and the Red River Delta regions. By 2025, the combined share of these two regions had fallen to 50 per cent.
Meanwhile, the proportion of workers originating from the northern midlands and mountainous region and the Mekong Delta increased from 12.3 per cent to 23 per cent.
In provinces with large numbers of overseas workers, men continued to outnumber women.
Education levels continue to improve
The educational profile of Vietnamese workers abroad has improved noticeably.
In 2025, approximately 79.6 per cent of overseas workers had completed high school education or higher, up 8.6 percentage points compared with 2021. Those holding college or university qualifications accounted for 15.9 per cent, an increase of 3.6 percentage points.
Despite these gains, most Vietnamese workers abroad remained concentrated in low- and medium-skilled occupations.
Around 88.1 per cent were employed in occupations such as elementary labour, skilled trades, machine operation and assembly, and service, security and sales roles.
By skill level, 58.9 per cent worked in medium-skilled occupations, 32.7 per cent in low-skilled jobs and 8.4 per cent in high-skilled professions.
Compared with 2021, the share of workers in low-skilled occupations increased, while medium-skilled employment declined. High-skilled occupations continued to account for less than 10 per cent of the total.
More than 85 per cent of Vietnamese workers abroad were employed in five key sectors: manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail trade including vehicle repair, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and accommodation and food services.
Japan, Taiwan and South Korea remain key destinations
Between 2022 and 2025, Vietnamese workers were employed in 42 countries and territories worldwide.
However, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea remained the three largest destinations, together accounting for 76.7 per cent of all Vietnamese workers employed overseas.