Australia and Vietnam
Education, trade and development cooperation connect Australia and Vietnam. The comprehensive strategic partnership of 2024 expanded climate, innovation and security. The Vietnamese visit in August 2026 added sectoral dialogues and cooperation on economic resilience.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Universities, training and innovation
DFAT records more than 36,000 Vietnamese students in Australia during 2025 and Australia Awards and New Colombo Plan programs.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 14,891.53 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Goods: Australia to Vietnam | 6,416.38 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Goods: Vietnam to Australia | 8,475.15 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Australia to Vietnam | 1.91 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Export share: Vietnam to Australia | ||
| Investment stock: Australia in Vietnam | ||
| Investment stock: Vietnam in Australia |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods; full year; reporter AUS. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Australia to Vietnam
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods; full year; reporter AUS. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Vietnam to Australia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods; full year; reporter AUS. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Export share: Australia to Vietnam
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods share: AUS exports to the partner / exports by the same reporter to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Australia | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.8 trillion USD2025 · WB | 514.7 billion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 65,129.72 USD2025 · WB | 5,065.99 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 1.35 %2025 · WB | 8.02 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | 4.6 %2026-09-29 · RBA | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.87 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.31 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · ABS | |
| Unemployment | 4.09 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 1.52 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 51 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 30.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -2.68 %2025 · WB | 6.33 %2024 · World Bank |
| Population | 27,614,4112025 · WB | 101,598,5272025 · World Bank |
| Area | 7,741,220 km²2023 · WB | 331,338 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Australia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Australia: 2026-09-29 · Cash rate target · RBA · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Australia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedAustralia: 2026-08 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · ABS · Published: 2026-09-30 · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionAustralia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Australia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Australia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceAustralia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Vietnam: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Australia to Vietnam
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 2,418.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 34.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 33.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 28.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 2.1 M USD2025 · Source |
Vietnam to Australia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2,505.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 957.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 664.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 52.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 15.3 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Australia living in Vietnam | ||
| Residents from Vietnam living in AustraliaBorn in Vietnam; residents in Australia | ≈326.630estimate | 2025 · Australia DFAT |
| Study and training: Australia in Vietnam | ||
| Study and training: Vietnam in AustraliaVietnamese students in Australia | >36.000 | 2025 · Australia DFAT |
| Academic stays: Australia in Vietnam | ||
| Academic stays: Vietnam in Australia | ||
| Travel: Australia to Vietnam | ||
| Travel: Vietnam to Australia |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Residents from Vietnam living in Australia
- Estimate by country of birth; not nationality or new arrivals 2025 · Australia DFAT
- Study and training: Vietnam in Australia
- The source says more than 36,000; this is retained as a lower bound, not an exact figure or students with US OPT 2025 · Australia DFAT
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
The comprehensive strategic partnership
The leaders elevated the framework on 7 March 2024. The agenda incorporates climate, energy, digital transformation and existing defense and development cooperation. It is a working framework, not a general collective defense treaty. Economic initiatives also draw on AANZFTA, CPTPP and RCEP, multilateral instruments with their own rules. [1]
Universities, training and innovation
DFAT records more than 36,000 Vietnamese students in Australia during 2025 and Australia Awards and New Colombo Plan programs. Enrolled students, cumulative scholarships and funded stays are distinct counts. RMIT and other institutions provide local educational connections. Mobility retains its academic or calendar year and is not estimated from trade volume. [1]
Defense and security with specific tasks
The 2025–2026 program includes training, United Nations peacekeeping, transport for Vietnamese deployments in South Sudan and maritime contacts. It is an agenda of capabilities and cooperation, different from a permanent base or a mutual defense guarantee. The human rights dialogue, with its twentieth meeting in August 2025, constitutes another mechanism. [1]
The scale of the two economies
Australia recorded nominal GDP of 1798.5 billion USD in 2025, compared with 514.7 in 2025 for Vietnam. The reference populations were 27.61 million (2025) and 101.6 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Australia's nominal GDP was 3.49 times Vietnam's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The August 2026 visit
Australia received Tô Lâm from 9 to 12 August. The review includes meetings on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security and the first ministerial Energy and Minerals dialogue. Declarations on resilience and innovation have their own follow-up. The 2025 data are a reference predating those meetings, not a measure of all their subsequent effects. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, goods recorded between Australia and Vietnam totaled 14,891.5 million USD. Australia's shipments to Vietnam were 6416.4 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 8475.1 million USD. Australia's shipments to the partner represented 1.91% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Human connections with their own figures
In 2025, the source recorded >36,000 students from Vietnam in Australia. [1]
In 2025, the register identified 326,630 residents linked to Vietnam in Australia, according to the published definition. [1]
The counts describe different populations and periods: they are not added as a total of unique people. Open Doors includes OPT practical training; US study stays require academic credit. Arrivals by country of residence do not equate to nationality or permanent residence. The academic year retains its coverage and is not relabelled as a calendar year. [1]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Australia's relations with Vietnam
Australia DFAT · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 36; partners 0,554,704
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / AUS
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / AUS
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / AUS
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / AUS
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / AUS
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 36; partners 554,704; X/M; annual goods.