Ha Noi 28 July 2022 - With the new multi-dimensional poverty line (approved in 2021), the near poor and poor household rate in Viet Nam increases from 5.2 percent in 2020 to 9.35 percent in 2022, meaning an additional 10 million people to benefit from the government’s social protection & poverty reduction policies and programs in 2021-2025 period.

This was shared at the launch of the Multi-Dimensional Poverty (MDP) Report 2021 in Ha Noi this morning. The report was jointly produced by the Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Committee for Ethnic Affairs (CEMA), General Statistics Office, Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), with the support from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and technical cooperation from the Centre for Analysis and Forecasting under the Viet Nam Academy for Social Science (CAF/VASS).

On the official visit to Vietnam, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja attended and addressed Launch together with the Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan and Minister, Chairman of the Ethnic Committee Hau A Lenh. The Launch was also attended by representatives of Government agencies, scholars, experts, development partners and the media.

With the adoption of the national multidimensional poverty line in 2015, Viet Nam emerged as a pioneer in the Asia-Pacific Region, incorporating multidimensional poverty into national poverty analysis and targeting. However, the persistence of poverty among ethnic minority groups and in coastal, island areas is a challenge for Viet Nam for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The COVID-19 pandemic was a tremendous setback in the struggle to eliminate stubborn poverty.

The launch presents key findings and recommendations for achieving rapid poverty reduction in all dimensions and throughout Viet Nam, including further refinement of the two National Targeted Programmes (NTPs) on social economic development in ethnic minority, mountainous areas and sustainable poverty reduction in the coming period.

According to the report, Viet Nam has seen progress in multi-dimensional poverty reduction, thanks to rapid expansion of productive employment; improvement to social services; and expansion of social protection system. However, vulnerabilities and disparities represent significant challenges. Transient income poverty increased during Covid-19. Although poverty rate dropped nationally, the rates are still high among ethnic minority. 

More specifically, while digital transformation in the education sector has increased, inequality in access to technology and equipment is still a challenge. The digital divide was more pronounced during covid-19. Access to health services has improved, but disparities remain, especially between national level and district/community level health service providers. When it comes to social assistance, cash assistance programmes have limited coverage and low benefits. Migrants are broadly excluded. 

Ms. Kanni Wignaraja highlighted five key recommendations for accelerating the reduction of poverty in all dimensions, including (i) creation of more productive jobs; (ii) quality public services, social services; (iii) expansion of social protection, not as ad hoc efforts in response to crises, but as a standing system that is robust and more expansive; (iv) expanded use of digital services; and (v) promoting innovative solutions, scaling-up successful pilots conducted by and with ethnic communities.

Watch full speech here.

Link to download the report.

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For more information, please contact: 

Nguyen Viet Lan, Communication Lead, UNDP in Viet Nam, đt: 0914436769