The primary social issues in Vietnam are rural and child poverty.
Vietnam scores 37.6 in the Gini coefficient index of wealth inequality, with the top 10% accounting for 30.2% of the nation's income and the bottom 10% receiving 3.2%. In 2008, 14% of the population lived below the national poverty line of US$1.15 per day.Worldbank Data-Vietnam.Retrieved on 12 February 2012
Rural poverty
+Poverty rate by rural-urban residence, 1993-2004 (percent)VLSS 1992/93, 1997/98; VHLSS 2002, 2004 1993 1998 2002 2004 Rural 66.4 45.5 35.6 25 Urban 25.1 9.2 6.6 3.6 Gross Domestic Product grew at an average of 7.5% from 2000 to 2008. The country was able to reduce poverty fate from 58.1% in the 1990s to 14% in 2008.UN-Vietnam-Basic Statistics.Retrieved on 12 February 2012. While the country grows and overall poverty drops, urban dwellers benefitted more than their rural counterparts and a wide income disparity grew between the rich and poor. The regions with the highest relative poverty include the north-west, north-central, central highlands, central coast and north-east.World Bank-Rural Poverty in Viet Nam.Retrieved on 12 February 2012.
These regions do not offer the resources to conduct agricultural activities, the main source of income. The poorest rural people live in remote areas with small plots of low quality land that is unsuitable for farming. Similarly, people living along the coastline are faced with harsh climate conditions that restrict farming.
Child poverty
+Child poverty rate in Vietnam, 1993-2004 (percent) 1993 1998 2002 2004 Child Poverty Rate 65.2 46.4 36.4 26.7 National Poverty Rate 58.1 37.9 28.9 19.5 Child poverty declined from 65.2% in 1993 to 26.7% in 2004. The Survey on Household Living Standards data set from 2008 showed that 1 in 3 children in Vietnam were poor. Despite the drop, child poverty remained much higher than the national poverty rate. Many children lacked access to the basic necessities of food, water, education and sanitation, especially in rural areas.
The government and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) developed a multidimensional approach to tackle child poverty. Jesper Morch, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, said "If children grow up in poverty, they are more likely to be poor in adulthood as well. Reducing child poverty will, therefore, not only improve children's lives today, but also contribute to reducing adult poverty in the long run".
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