Towards a comprehenstive national policy for an ageing in Viet Nam

Population ageing in Viet Nam has reached a level where it is having a great impact on all sectors of the economy. This calls for the Government to direct and facilitate ensuring that people in Viet Nam can live healthy, active and fulfilling lives throughout their lives. While the major concern is the older persons defined as those aged 60 years and more, population ageing has started to affect everyone. In order to cope with the ageing of the population, it is therefore no longer sufficient to meet the expectations and needs of the older population only but it requires a more comprehensive approach to address its effects on all population groups. However, while Viet Nam's current policies are mainly to support and address the problems of older persons, there is need for a more comprehensive policy on population ageing. It is therefore necessary to address current ageing-related issues which affect both older and young people and develop national programmes and policies that are consistent with the government's action plans on socio-economic development to achieve positive and successful results.

This policy report published by Viet Nam National Committee on Ageing (VNCA), with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under the VNM9P03 project, "Supporting Viet Namese agencies in the provision and use of data on population and development and evidence to develop and monitor plans, strategies and policies for economic and social development, and sustainable development goals 2017-2021". It provides an overall situation analysis on ageing in Viet Nam and recommendations to the Government of Viet Nam on the need for developing a comprehensive national policy to respond to population ageing issues and prepare for a well adaptation of the country in the aged population context.