Over 1.9 million households still struggle with poverty: Ministry
There remained more than 1.97 million poor and near-poor households nationwide based on the multi-dimensional poverty standards, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) in 2022.
The survey showed that the overall national poverty ratio was 7.52%, with 4.03% being poor households and 3.49% being near-poor families.
The highest poverty ratio based on the multi-dimensional poverty standards has been seen in the northern midland and mountainous region, at 21.92%; followed by the Central Highlands at 15.39%; the north-central and central coastal region at 10.04%; the Mekong Delta region at 5.73%; the Red River Delta region at 2.45%, and the southeast region, 0.34%.
The northern midland and mountainous region led in both ratios of poor and near-poor households (14.23% and 7.69%, respectively), while the southeast region reported the lowest ratios at 0.21% and 0.13%, respectively.
The data of the survey serve a foundation for the ministry to decide poverty reduction and social welfare policies as well as other socio-economic policies in 2023.
Under a government decree on the new multi-dimensional poverty standards for the 2021-2025 period, the income-based poverty threshold for poor households is raised from VND700,000 (USS$29.85) per person per month in rural areas, applicable in the 2016-2020 period, to VND1.5 million (US$63.97) per person per month.
In urban areas, it will be VND2 million (US$85.29) per person per month, compared with VND900,000 (US$38.38) in the previous term.