Residents of Phiêng Luông commune, Mộc Châu district, Sơn La province, are planting Bát Độ bamboo using funds received as support. (Illustrative photo: Trần Việt/TTXVN)

The entire political system, all sectors, levels, and strata of the population are paying special attention to and focusing on this task, with the orientation set to be consistent with the practical situation and meet international standards for poverty reduction. In 2024, Vietnam continued to achieve positive results in the fight against poverty.
Transforming poor villages in border areas.
Muong Sai commune is located more than 40km south of the center of Song Ma district (Son La province). Muong Sai has 12 villages, with over 1,000 households and more than 5,000 inhabitants, comprising four ethnic groups: Thai, Kinh, H'Mong, and Xinh Mun. The road to Muong Sai is now much more convenient than in previous years thanks to investment in infrastructure; this makes it easier for students to go to school and for people to transport agricultural products. Mr. Lo Van Loan (Thai ethnic group) in Na Ho village happily said that his family's life has improved significantly. Now, not only his household but many people in the village are thinking about changing their crop structure "to generate more income."
Mr. Lo Van Loan's thinking is a prime example of the determination to escape poverty and improve one's life in Na Ho village. About 10 years ago, realizing that relying on corn and rice cultivation yielded little income and didn't improve his life, Mr. Lo Van Loan decided to choose longan trees, which had the potential to bring higher economic value, along with many favorable support conditions from the local authorities. In 2014, this man of the Thai ethnic group planted more than 100 longan trees. However, because he planted them spontaneously, the trees did not reach optimal productivity, were heavily dependent on weather conditions, and some years the trees did not bear fruit or the fruit was small and unsaleable. The product's market was unstable, and prices fluctuated greatly.
“After receiving guidance on cultivation techniques from officials, the productivity of my longan orchard has improved significantly. Here, many households have also escaped poverty and now have a comfortable life from selling longan,” recalled Mr. Lo Van Loan.
According to Mr. Lo Van Loan, after a period of cultivating longan trees, his family has researched and developed the product according to VietGAP standards. All stages of care and fertilization are meticulously documented in a logbook. Thanks to this effective method, the longan orchard produces large, uniform, and juicy fruit. Each year, he harvests tens of tons of fresh longan, selling it at prices that vary depending on the market. “In recent years, my family’s life has improved significantly. I’ve built a new house and bought a truck and a car,” Mr. Lo Van Loan proudly shared.
Discussing the poverty reduction journey of households in the area, Mr. Luu Van Cuong, Chairman of the Muong Sai Commune Committee, said that this border commune also has many other models such as goat farming and plum cultivation... which have brought very clear results, helping to improve the economic lives of poor and near-poor households.
“In 2022, the commune had over 300 poor households, accounting for 30%, but in 2023, the commune only had 99 poor and near-poor households, meaning it decreased to less than 10%. Many households in the commune have been planning to get rich and build big houses,” Mr. Luu Van Cuong emphasized.
Commenting on poverty reduction efforts in Son La, the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee, Lo Minh Hung, said that the implementation of the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in the province for the period 2021-2025 has brought about positive changes and impacts on the socio-economic development of the locality, contributing to improving and gradually raising the living conditions of poor households, poor people, and ethnic minority households. At the same time, it has narrowed the gap between urban and rural areas.
In 2021, the poverty rate for the entire province was 21.66%, but by the end of 2024 it had decreased to 11.11%. During the same period, the poverty rate among ethnic minorities decreased from 21.34% to 10.9%. The poverty rate in poor districts decreased by an average of 5% per year. It is projected that by the end of 2025, the poverty rate for the entire province will decrease to approximately 8.1%, and four districts will have escaped poverty.
No one should be left behind.

Ms. Ca Thi Mong in Pang village, Chieng Den commune, Son La city, takes care of her family's herd of cattle. (Illustrative photo: Quang Quyet/TTXVN)

Looking at the overall picture, Son La is one of the bright spots nationwide in the journey towards poverty reduction. The transformation of many localities across the country in recent years, especially in 2024, vividly reflects the consistency, joint efforts, and solidarity of the Party, the State, and the people for the poor, with the goal of leaving no one behind.
New poverty reduction policies and measures introduced by the Party, the State, the entire political system, and local authorities increasingly focus on the goal of not only ensuring that poor households have enough food and clothing, but also guaranteeing equal and full access to basic social services, meeting minimum living needs in healthcare, education, housing, clean water, sanitation, and information. A series of policies aimed at multidimensional, inclusive, and sustainable poverty reduction have been implemented. The focus is on national target programs for building new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions. From there, support is provided to poor people and households to overcome difficulties and improve their quality of life according to the new multidimensional poverty standard.
According to Ms. Bach Lien Huong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the department has focused on implementing many specific policies, especially regarding social security and improving the quality of life for the people of Hanoi. In 2024, Hanoi achieved several outstanding results, such as creating jobs for more than 225,000 workers, exceeding the plan by 36.9%, reducing the unemployment rate for more than 70,000 people, a 10% decrease compared to 2023, bringing the overall unemployment rate in Hanoi to 1.7%.
"To date, Hanoi no longer has any poor households, and only 0.04% of households are near-poor," Ms. Bach Lien Huong emphasized.
According to Minister Dao Ngoc Dung, in 2024, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs proactively coordinated with ministries, sectors, and localities to fully and promptly implement poverty reduction policies; and allocated sufficient funds for the 2024 National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction to localities. In addition, it advised the Government on organizing a program to support the elimination of temporary and dilapidated housing nationwide, which has so far mobilized over 5,000 billion VND; and participated as a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Poverty (at the G20 Summit).
The estimated poverty rate according to the multidimensional poverty standard in 2024 will be below 1%; the poverty rate in poor districts will be around 26%; the poverty rate among ethnic minorities will be below 13.5%, meeting the targets set by the National Assembly and the Government; 10 particularly disadvantaged communes in coastal and island areas will escape poverty and extreme hardship, and 1 poor district will escape poverty.
During the period 2021-2024, the poverty rate according to the multidimensional poverty standard decreased by approximately 4.2% (an average decrease of about 1.05% per year); the poverty rate in poor districts decreased by an average of over 4% per year, and the poverty rate among ethnic minorities decreased by an average of over 3% per year.
Highlighting the achievements in poverty reduction in recent times, the Chairman of the National Assembly's Ethnic Council, Y Thanh Ha Nie Kdam, also affirmed: In the context of the country focusing on economic development, the encouraging achievements in poverty reduction clearly demonstrate the sense of responsibility of Party committees, government, the Fatherland Front, mass organizations, and the people in poverty reduction, caring for vulnerable groups, and the spirit of mutual support and compassion.

Hanh Quynh