At the national conference reviewing the implementation of the resolutions and policies on poverty reduction on August 13, Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung stated that by the end of the 2020-2025 period, 6 out of 9 targets under the National Target Program 1719 had been completed. 

“Two of these targets are pivotal and foundational for socio-economic development, namely the poverty reduction rate and the average income of ethnic minority people,” the minister affirmed.

The draft Political Report to be submitted to the Party’s 14th National Congress sets a target for the next five years to maintain an annual poverty reduction rate of 1–1.5 percent under the poverty standard for the 2026–2030 period, as stipulated in Decree No351/2025/ND-CP dated December 30, 2025.

Pham Hong Dao, deputy head of the National Office for Poverty Reduction, said that in 2026, the identification of poor households will continue to apply the poverty standard for the 2022–2025 period. From 2027, a new poverty standard under Decree No351/2025/ND-CP will be applied.

Accordingly, a poor household in rural areas is defined as one with an average per capita income of VND2.2 million per person per month or lower (VND2.8 million in urban areas) and a deficiency in at least three measurement indicators.

“In the criteria set for the next period, some indicators related to access to social services have been adjusted to reflect new development trends. For example, the criterion on information means has been removed, while criteria on the use of digital services, internet access, and the capacity to handle domestic waste have been added,” Dao explained.

According to Dao, adjusting social service criteria to identify poverty is essential as the country transitions to a two-tier local government model, oriented toward rapid, green, and sustainable development. The new approach to the poverty line serves as the foundation for implementing policies for the 2026–2030 period, aiming for inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction.

The central budget is expected to allocate VND100 trillion for the 2026–2030 period, while local budgets would provide the reciprocal capital of VND300 trillion. These resources will focus on three key solution groups: developing socio-economic infrastructure adapted to climate change; supporting livelihoods and creating sustainable jobs; and improving management capacity through digital transformation.

From 1993 to 2015, poor households were identified solely based on income (unidimensional poverty). During 2016–2020, Vietnam adopted a multidimensional poverty approach under Decision No59/2015/QD-TTg; however, poor households were split into two groups: those poor by income and those poor by deficiency in basic social services.

In 2021–2025, nine localities (prior to mergers) issued multidimensional poverty lines higher than the national standard. Additionally, 12 localities issued specific poverty reduction policies for poor and near-poor households without labor capacity.

Sy Hao