Vietnam has large manpower resources, which is largely untapped and unknown to the outside world. For example, many are surprised to know that Vietnam is larger than Italy and almost the size of Germany. Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world, with a population of almost 87 million. Of these about 70 percent are in the 15-64 years age group, which makes for one of the largest workforce in the world. Vietnam has a large pool of skilled and semi-skilled personnel ready to move and seek greater opportunities abroad. Many people in Vietnam are conversant in English with the language being made obligatory in most schools. Almost 30 percent of the total population lives in urban areas and urbanization is growing at an annual rate of 3.1 percent, which means more manpower is readily available in cities and urban areas. Demands from companies from across the world and especially the Asia Pacific region have created new opportunities for job seekers abroad. Also, the changing global economy and the need for specific expertise have also opened up new opportunities in IT and other sectors.