Rural Poverty and Inequality Maps in Vietnam: Estimation using Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2006 and Rural Agriculture and Fishery Census 2006

The objective of this paper is to estimate poverty and inequality for rural Vietnam at different levels of aggregation by combining the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey (VHLSS) from 2006 and the Rural Agriculture and Fishery Census from the same year. Using the small area estimation method, we will produce estimates at the region, province at district level, and will consider both expenditure and income based measures. It is found that all provinces across the country have experienced a noticeable reduction in rural poverty during the period 1999-2006. Some of the largest reductions in poverty are observed for provinces with poverty rates close to the national average. Also the poorest provinces are experiencing reductions in poverty, albeit at a more modest pace. Provinces and districts with a larger poverty reduction in the period 1999-2006 tend to have a lower level of inequality in 2006. Results based on expenditure poverty estimates are found to be very similar to those based on income poverty estimates.