Mr. Pham Hong Dao - Deputy Chief of the National Office for Poverty Reduction - Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said that in the 2021-2025 period, poverty reduction results have achieved and exceeded the target and targets assigned by the National Assembly and the Government (the target is a reduction of 1-1.5%/year).
The poverty rate decreased from 5.2% at the beginning of the period to 1.93% in 2024. On average, the poverty rate in ethnic minority and mountainous areas decreases by over 3% each year. It is expected that by the end of 2025, the multidimensional poverty rate will decrease to about 0.9-1.1%; the ethnic minority poverty rate will be 12.55%.
Vietnam is one of the first 30 countries in the world and the first country in Asia to apply the multidimensional poverty standard, ensuring a minimum standard of living associated with sustainable development goals.
In 1998, the poverty rate of the whole country was about 58%, at the end of 2024 it was only 1.93%, and it is expected that by the end of 2025 according to the poverty standard 2021-2025, it will be only about 1%. The international community recognizes Vietnam as one of the countries with the fastest poverty reduction rate.
To achieve the above achievements, the Party and State have prioritized allocating many resources to implement poverty reduction policies. Of which, the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction alone has a total budget for the period 2021-2025 of VND 75,000 billion (the central budget is VND 48,000 billion, the local counterpart capital is about VND 12,000 billion and other socialized mobilization sources).
The national target program on sustainable poverty reduction for the period 2021-2025 has focused on investing in socio-economic development of poor core areas, supporting vulnerable groups not to fall into poverty.
Thanks to the support of authorities at all levels, after the implementation of policies by the Party and the State, many infrastructure systems such as electricity, roads, schools, stations, etc. have been invested in, contributing to significantly improving the lives of people in poor areas and areas with special difficulties.
Along with that, more than 10,500 poverty reduction models and projects have been implemented, creating sustainable livelihoods, promoting economic and labor restructuring in poor localities.
According to Mr. Pham Hong Dao, in some difficult areas such as the midlands and mountainous areas of the North and Central Highlands, the poverty rate is still high, in many places over 50%, even over 70%, with a high risk of falling back into poverty.
Some remote areas still lack essential infrastructure, medical services, education, clean water, and environmental sanitation are still limited; production, trade, and logistics infrastructure are not synchronous, affecting livelihood efficiency.
In many localities, the implementation of poverty reduction models is still unsustainable, not really linked to actual conditions, indigenous culture and long-term development needs.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is actively coordinating with relevant ministries and branches to develop poverty standards for the period 2026-2030.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thuat - Deputy Director of the Department of Information and External Information, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism - said that "For the Poor of Vietnam" - October 17 is an opportunity for each agency, organization, unit, enterprise, and people to demonstrate the spirit of mutual love and support through practical and specific actions to share and support the poor and people in difficult circumstances.
