Viet Nam

Year

DEMOGRAPHICS, GENDER AND POVERTY

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Ministry of Health
138A Giang Vo Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Tel: (84 4) 846 1325
Fax: (84 4) 846 4051
http://www.moh.gov.vn/tinbyt/
WHO Representative in Viet Nam
63 Tran Hung Dao Street,
Hoan Kiem District
Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
P.O. Box 52,
Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Tel:(84 4) 943 3734
Fax:(84 4) 943 3740
who@vtn.wpro.who.int

The population of Viet Nam rose to 80 902 400 people in 2003, with 74.2% living in rural areas. Migration to urban areas continues at an ever-increasing rate. The percentage of the population aged below 15 years has decreased, while that of those over 64 years has increased, as in previous years. This is placing pressure on the health care system to deal with problems arising from an ageing population.

The population growth rate in 2003 was 1.47%, an 11.36% increase compared with 2002 and contrary to a gradually reducing trend in recent decades. This reflects a certain degree of instability in family planning - the introduction of the new government ordinance on population, which clearly indicates the rights of couples to decide how many children they have, is a key contributing factor. The total fertility rate was estimated to be 2.10 in 2003, still following the declining trend of previous years. The crude birth rate decreased accordingly by 8.6% compared with the figure in 2002. The crude death rate remained unchanged at the country level, but, contrary to previous years, increased by 4.44% in urban areas, while decreasing by 5.00% in rural areas.

According to the UNDP classification, Viet Nam’s gender development index ranked at 89 among 162 countries in 2001. Gender inequity in the country is less serious than in many other countries in the Region or in other low-income countries around the world. However, it varies at different levels across regions, particularly in the North West and the Central Highlands. The incidence of ill-health, both in general and by age group, ethnicity, educational level, poverty status, disability, residence and seasons, is generally higher in females than in males. Women are more likely to buy drugs for self-treatment, and to use private health facilities and traditional medicine, but less likely to access preventive services and health facilities at higher levels, to remain in hospital for longer periods, to refer to higher levels for consultation and treatment or to visit village health workers. Per capita health expenditure among females is lower than among males. Similarly, coverage of health insurance for females is lower than for males, except for the poor, who are provided with free health insurance.

Poverty reduction is one of the greatest successes of economic development in Viet Nam. The poverty rate nationwide has decreased from two-thirds to one-third in the last decade, a faster rate than in other countries at a similar level of development, but with considerable variation across regions. The Central Highlands ranks as the poorest, followed by the Northern Uplands and the Northern Central Coast. Ethnic minorities show widespread poverty, with less progress made in poverty reduction, and will remain poor for longer.

The disparities in poverty coverage and reduction are consistent with those in health status and access to health services. Although the general health status of the Vietnamese people has improved in the last decade, as indicated by continuing improvements in the infant mortality rate, the maternal mortality ratio and other basic health indicators, the gaps between the poor and the non-poor in terms of health status, as well as access to health services, have widened. Improvements have resulted mostly among the non-poor. Significant progress has been made in developing water and sanitation infrastructure in the last decade. Improved water and sanitation facilities are less widespread in rural than in urban areas, but are developing at a higher rate. There is also a wide gap between the poor and the non-poor in terms of access to clean water and hygienic sanitation facilities.

Disclaimer: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of an opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.