As of April 1, 2012, Vietnam's population reached 88.5 million people, an increase of 915,000 people over the previous year, local Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Tuesday, quoting latest released statistics data.

Of the total, 28.5 million are urban citizens, accounting for 32.3 percent; and 43.7 million are male, accounting for 49.5 percent.

The new data has brought the country's population density to 267 people per square kilometers, a high rate compared to that in the region and the world as well.

The latest data also revealed the fact that Vietnam's population tends to grow old remarkably. The under-15-year-old group made up 23.9 percent of the total, compared to 33.1 percent in 1999.

The country's aging rate, a result from comparing the number of people over 60 with those under 15 years old, increased from 24.3 percent in 1999 to 42.7 percent in 2012.

As of 2012, four percent of the people above 5 year old never went to school, while 5.3 percent of those above 15 were illiterate, and 20.8 percent of the population has not yet graduated from secondary school.

Women of the 15-49 year-old group having more than three children accounted for 14.2 percent of the total.