If love were a market, Vietnam’s dating and marriage landscape would be facing a clear case of oversupply, with men outnumbering women.
Data from the National Statistics Office show that Vietnam’s sex ratio at birth reached 111.4 boys per 100 girls in 2024, far exceeding the biological range of 104–106. If the trend continues, Vietnam could have around 1.5 million more men than women aged 15–49 by 2034, with the gap potentially widening to 2.5 million by 2060.
In other words: The struggle for Vietnamese men to find a partner will have less to do with romance and more to do with demographics. As Vietnamese women are also viewed as desirable partners by foreigners, finding love in Vietnam is now getting competitive.
Vietnamese women account for 90% intercultural marriages in Vietnam
Statistics from the Vietnam National Report on Civil Registration show that in 2023, nearly 19,000 marriages were registered between Vietnamese citizens and foreign nationals, with about 89% involving Vietnamese women. The most common foreign spouses come from Taiwan, mainland China, South Korea and the United States, accounting for 77%. In contrast, men only made up 11% of foreign marriages in Vietnam.
While these figures do not imply that Vietnamese women are “leaving” the domestic marriage market, they do point to how dating options have become more diverse and more visible, especially for women in Vietnam.
Vietnamese women are perceived as “traditional”
Vietnamese women are often portrayed as desirable partners, admired for traits such as family-oriented values, adaptability and traditional femininity. Studies on cross-border matchmaking show that marriage brokers in South Korea often promote Vietnamese women as “traditional women” with Confucian values, highlighting traits such as respect for elders, diligence and family orientation. Another study suggests that these perceptions are not incidental but are actively constructed, particularly by intermediaries and media narratives in destination countries.
At the same time, foreign men in these narratives are frequently associated with financial stability, maturity and broader life opportunities. For example, a research in 2015 on marriage between Vietnamese women and Taiwanese men suggests that Taiwanese men are frequently portrayed by matchmakers as wealthy, enjoying comfortable and leisurely lifestyles - a depiction that can differ significantly from their actual circumstances.
In a dating market already skewed by a surplus of men, these perceptions can further heighten the sense of competition.
Rising expectations for a partner
A surplus of men does not automatically make dating or marriage easier for women. Data from the Vietnam National Report on Civil Registration also showed that the average age at first marriage of Vietnamese women has risen to 27. At the same time, the proportion of people aged 15 and above who are married has declined from 77.4% to 74.5%, with women in cities increasingly less likely to marry than women in rural areas.
Vietnam has over 16.3 million single people aged 15 and above, including more than 1.5 million aged 35-59 who are never married. Women get married earlier than men, but from middle age onwards the proportion of single women is consistently higher than that of men.
What emerges instead is a more segmented dating market, where education, income, location and expectations play a decisive role.
"If I set criteria for my partner based on income, home or height, I can find someone easily. However, finding a person who shares similar values, has a good character and is willing to share responsibilities is more challenging," - A 41-year-old single woman told VnExpress.
As Vietnam continues to grapple with its gender imbalance, one thing is becoming clearer: finding a Vietnamese wife is no longer simply a matter of effort or timing. With uneven numbers and expanding choices, marriage is increasingly shaped by structural constraints rather than personal intention alone.