Nearly 15 Million Elderly Vietnamese Face Gaps in Care as Family Support Weakens
Updated
Updated · VnExpress International · Jun 27
Nearly 15 Million Elderly Vietnamese Face Gaps in Care as Family Support Weakens
1 articles · Updated · VnExpress International · Jun 27
Summary
Vietnam’s elderly are increasingly struggling to secure care and income as traditional family support erodes and state protection remains too thin to ensure a decent old age.
Hoa, 70, now sells cakes in Hanoi for about VND200,000 ($8) a day after her sons lost their homes in the Covid-era downturn, while Toan, 90, with no pension, is being rotated monthly among nine children after family property disputes.
The pressure is growing fast: Vietnam already has nearly 15 million elderly people, adds about 700,000 seniors a year, and is projected to reach 18 million by 2030 and 21.5 million by 2035.
Support systems remain shallow—more than 10 million older Vietnamese are outside formal social protection, pensions and assistance provide only 15% of elderly income, and more than 60% still work, mostly in informal jobs.
Experts say Vietnam is entering the same transition seen in Japan, South Korea and China, and needs community eldercare such as day services and home visits to supplement families rather than replace them.
As Vietnam's 'silver economy' booms, is it a solution for aging parents or a symptom of eroding family values?
Can grassroots community clubs succeed in caring for Vietnam's elderly where government and family efforts are falling short?
Vietnam’s Aging Tsunami: Challenges, Gaps, and Solutions for a Society Where 14% Will Be 65+ by 2036
Overview
Vietnam is facing a rapid demographic shift, aging faster than many of its neighbors. This is mainly due to a sharp decline in fertility rates after the Two-Child Policy was introduced in 1988. As a result, the country’s earlier demographic dividend is fading, and an increasingly older population is emerging. The effects are most visible in urban and economically developed regions, where modernization brings new social and economic pressures. Despite government efforts to encourage larger families, raising birth rates remains difficult. These changes are reshaping family structures and creating urgent challenges for elderly care and social support systems.