Language and Religion

Vietnamese is the official language, while English has replaced French as the second language. About 70 percent profess to Buddhism, with about 10 percent being Roman Catholics. 

Value System and Relationships

Vietnam remains a hierarchical country and is still a male-dominated. The extended family forms the basic unit of society and provides the main source of security. Family is thus the central focus when making important decisions. Elders are highly respected. Politeness and manners are important.

Business Climate

Bargaining is a central part of doing business. A business relationship depends on getting to know and trust each other, which will take time and effort. Contacts are vitally important and one is at a clear disadvantage if one doesn’t have the right connections when doing business. Modesty is a characteristic of the culture. Traffic is the greatest hazard for visitors to the country.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project is an interactive database that allows users to explore public opinion trends in 55 countries on topics ranging from attitudes towards the U.S. to peoples assessments of their own lives to views about globalization, democratization and extremism and other important issues.

The country ranks as no. 121 (of 180 countries) on Transparency International’s 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index.