Through strong economic growth Vietnam has reached lower middle-income country status, but the Government has to make more efforts to meet people’s long-term needs. Poverty and environmental challenges such as worsening pollution, rising sea levels and increasing soil erosion need to be addressed, together with risk factors for corruption such as unequal access to information and officials’ discretionary powers over land compensation. Civil society and independent experts must be involved in developing strategies to tackle the challenges of sustainable development.
In terms of gender equity Vietnam seats slightly above the East Asia & the Pacific average, and in better conditions that all of its neighbours.