The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reported that the country has nearly 1.3 million people receiving a regular allowance. Every year, the State provides emergency aid to nearly 1 million people and families to help them stabilise their life and access basic social services. By the end of 2008 the proportion of poor households was 13 percent, 1.66 percent less than 2007.

Currently, more than 1.25 million people each year are being provided social allowances worth VND2,035 billion in total. In 2009, Vietnam aims to decrease the number of poor households to 12 percent.