Hanoi Population 2025: Latest Data and Growth Trends
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is one of the most densely populated cities and is still growing rapidly. By 2024, Hanoi’s population is estimated to reach 8.5 million people, making the city ranked first and second in the country in terms of population. This growth brings many opportunities while also posing many challenges in population management and urban development of the city.
Table of Contents
1. What is the current population of Hanoi?
According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Population and Family Planning, by the end of September 2023, Hanoi’s population reached nearly 8.5 million people (specifically 8,499,038 people), accounting for about 8,000,000 people. 5% of the country’s population. With this impressive figure, Hanoi is the second most populous city in the country and has the second highest population density among Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities.
According to historical statistics, the population of the capital city of Hanoi has experienced rapid growth in the latter half of the 20th century. In 1954, the city’s population was approximately 53,000. By 2008, following an administrative boundary expansion, Hanoi’s population had increased to over 6.23 million.
Currently, Hanoi ranks second in population size after Ho Chi Minh City. However, the updated figures regarding Hanoi’s population are only relative estimates. In reality, the number of residents living in Hanoi may be higher than the reported statistics due to an increasing trend of migration from other provinces and cities to the capital.
In terms of demographic structure, the majority of Hanoi’s residents are ethnic Kinh, accounting for approximately 99%. There are also other ethnic groups present, such as Muong and Tay,…
>> Learn more: Ho Chi Minh City population
2. What is the largest population of Hanoi in the country?
With nearly 8.5 million people, Hanoi’s population currently accounts for about 8.5% of the country’s population. However, Hanoi city only ranks second in population in Vietnam, behind Ho Chi Minh City (with 8.9 million people).
Hanoi is an important political, economic, cultural, educational and scientific and technical center of the country. This place concentrates many headquarters, large universities as well as leading corporations and businesses. This has attracted residents from other provinces and cities to live, study and work. A large population also gives Hanoi many opportunities to develop thanks to a large consumer market, high demand for services and, above all, abundant human resources.
3. Latest population density of Hanoi today
According to the 2022 Statistical Yearbook report, the population density in Hanoi reaches about 2,511 people/km², 8.2 times higher than the population density of the whole country. With this figure, Hanoi is currently ranked 2nd in terms of population density among the 63 provincial-level administrative units of the country. However, the population is unevenly distributed, leading to differences in density between districts and between urban and rural areas.
Below is the latest summary of detailed information about population and population density of Hanoi districts:
No | District | Area (km2) | Population (people) | Population density (people/km2) | Number of wards and communes |
1 | Ba Dinh district | 9,21 | 226.315 | 24.573 | 14 wards |
2 | Bac Tu Liem District | 45,24 | 354.364 | 7.833 | 13 wards |
3 | Cau Giay District | 12,44 | 294.235 | 23.652 | 8 wards |
4 | Dong Da district | 9,95 | 376.709 | 37.860 | 21 wards |
5 | Ha Dong District | 49,64 | 382.637 | 7.708 | 17 wards |
6 | Hai Ba Trung District | 10,26 | 304.101 | 29.639 | 18 wards |
7 | Hoan Kiem District | 5,35 | 141.687 | 26.484 | 18 wards |
8 | Hoang Mai District | 40,19 | 540.732 | 13.454 | 14 wards |
9 | Long Bien District | 60,09 | 337.982 | 5.625 | 14 wards |
10 | Nam Tu Liem District | 32,17 | 282.444 | 8.780 | 10 wards |
11 | West Lake District | 24,38 | 167.851 | 6.885 | 8 wards |
12 | Thanh Xuan district | 9,17 | 293.292 | 31.984 | 11 wards |
13 | Ba Vi district | 117,20 | 151.090 | 1.289 | 1 town, 30 communes |
14 | Chuong My district | 421,80 | 305.933 | 725 | 2 towns, 30 communes |
15 | Dan Phuong district | 237,48 | 347.564 | 1.464 | 1 town, 15 communes |
16 | Dong Anh district | 77,83 | 185.653 | 2.385 | 1 town, 23 communes |
17 | Gia Lam district | 185,68 | 437.308 | 2.355 | 2 towns, 20 communes |
18 | Hoai Duc district | 116,64 | 292.943 | 2.512 | 1 town, 19 communes |
19 | Me Linh district | 84,92 | 257.633 | 3.034 | 2 towns, 16 communes |
20 | My Duc district | 141,29 | 241.633 | 1.710 | 1 town, 21 communes |
21 | Phu Xuyen district | 226,31 | 203.778 | 900 | 2 towns, 25 communes |
22 | Phuc Tho district | 173,56 | 229.847 | 1.324 | 1 town, 20 communes |
23 | Quoc Oai district | 118,50 | 194.754 | 1.643 | 1 town, 20 communes |
24 | Soc Son district | 151,22 | 203.079 | 1.343 | 1 town, 25 communes |
25 | Thach That district | 305,51 | 357.652 | 1.171 | 1 town, 22 communes |
26 | Thanh Oai District | 187,53 | 223.844 | 1.194 | 1 town, 20 communes |
27 | Thanh Tri district | 124,47 | 227.541 | 1.828 | 1 town, 15 communes |
28 | Thuong Tin | 63,49 | 288.839 | 4.549 | 1 town, 28 communes |
29 | Ung Hoa district | 130,13 | 262.222 | 2.015 | 1 town, 28 communes |
30 | Son Tay town | 188,24 | 212.224 | 1.127 | 9 wards, 6 communes |
The highest population density is recorded in Dong Da District, with 37,860 people per square kilometer, which is 15 times higher than the average density of the city. Most other inner-city districts, such as Thanh Xuan, Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, also have high population densities exceeding 20,000 people per square kilometer. In contrast, suburban districts like Ba Vi and My Duc have relatively low densities, below 1,000 people per square kilometer.
The significant disparity in population density between these two areas indicates that a large portion of the population is concentrated in the urban center, where there are numerous amenities and employment opportunities. This also reflects the uneven economic and social development across different regions of Hanoi.
4. Hanoi’s population divided by region
According to the 2022 Statistical Yearbook, the population of Hanoi city is 8,435,700 people. The population living in the urban area is 4,138,500 people, accounting for about 49.06% of the entire city’s population. Meanwhile, the population living in rural areas is 4,297,200 people, accounting for about 50.94% of the total population.
It can be seen that the ratio of urban and rural population in Hanoi is relatively balanced. However, in terms of population density, urban areas have a density of up to 9,343 people/km2, 6.7 times higher than rural areas (with only 1,394 people/km2).
5. The number of residents increases each year in Hanoi
In addition to main problems such as overcrowding and uneven population density, Hanoi capital is also facing the problem of rapid population growth. In the past few years, many families in Hanoi, with better economic conditions, want to have a third and even fourth child. Specifically, the average total fertility rate is 2.13. children/woman, the crude birth rate reached 16.4% (higher than the national average rate of 15.2%). This factor has increased the pressure on the city’s population, leading to many challenges in urban management and development.
According to a report by the Hanoi Department of Population and Family Planning, on average each year, the population of Hanoi capital will increase by about 200,000 people. This number is equivalent to the average population of a large district. With rapid population growth, the city will face many challenges related to infrastructure systems, health care, education, transportation, environment and especially housing needs.
6. Pressure of rapid population growth in Hanoi
Dense population is a prominent feature of Hanoi urban area, giving the second most populous city in the country many conditions for development. But with the rapid population growth rate, Hanoi is also facing many pressures such as:
- Pressure on facilities: Rapid population growth and uneven population distribution increase pressure on the city’s infrastructure and facilities. Accordingly, the large population leads to insufficient facilities to meet the living, educational and medical examination and treatment needs of residents.
- Housing problem: Rising housing demand is also a big challenge when housing prices increase sharply, making it difficult for many people to buy houses. Besides, high population density also leads to a shortage of living space, reducing people’s quality of life.
- Traffic congestion: Hanoi city often experiences serious traffic congestion, especially in central districts. Lack of parking also makes moving around the city difficult. Environmental pollution due to dust from vehicles is also a painful problem, directly affecting the health and quality of life of residents.
- Challenges for the education sector: Increasing demand for learning causes many schools, especially public schools in Hanoi, to lack places. The scarcity of educational facilities not only causes the “competition rate” of schools to increase but also affects the quality of education.
Hanoi’s population is increasing, especially in inner-city districts, posing many challenges for the city government in socio-economic management and development. Resolving the pressures caused by rapid population growth in Hanoi is an urgent task, requiring the cooperation of both the government and the people. The common goal is to build a civilized, modern and sustainable Hanoi city.