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The experiences captured by the World Bank COVID-19 monitoring surveys in Vietnam are an opportunity to understand the weakest links and who are the most exposed to shocks. Fortunately, before the fourth wave, the impacts from COVID-19 in Vietnam were mild relative to the rest of the world. Yet, experiences from the early waves of COVID-19 still highlighted existing inequities and revealed policy implementation challenges. The differential experiences between different groups of households and firms illustrate their preexisting vulnerabilities and the different capabilities in coping between groups. Observing how households and firms were affected, even if by mild shocks; how they adapted; who received assistance; and who could not cope well offers information on existing gaps in access to services, the importance of building resilience, and the need for better safety nets to guard against poverty traps and business closures. There are lessons both for the short term¡ªhow to improve the household and firm response for the much more severe fourth wave¡ªand for the long term¡ªhow to improve the broader social safety net for times of crisis and times of normalcy.

This website hosts data, results, and analysis from the World Bank¡¯s household and firm high-frequency phone surveys.

A Year Deferred ¨C Early Lessons and Experiences from COVID-19 in Vietnam

This report documents and explores the early economic impacts of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on households and businesses in Vietnam, leveraging unique information collected by the World Bank COVID-19 household and firm monitoring phone surveys collected from June 2020 to March 2021. Using new survey data, microsimulation techniques, and administrative data, this report looks in each chapter at (1) the impact of the crisis on households and businesses, (2) how they coped, (3) how the government responded, (4) how the trajectory to poverty was affected in 2020, and (5) potential longer-term consequences, particularly consequences related to increasing inequality. The period covered by the report marks the first phase of the pandemic in Vietnam, a period when COVID-19 was successfully controlled, and before the large outbreak in April 2021 caused by the Delta variant. Although COVID-19 cases in Vietnam were among the lowest in the world throughout 2020 and early 2021, households still experienced lower incomes, job loss, and hardships. Inequalities, differences in abilities to cope, vulnerabilities, and policy implementation challenges found during this early phase are cautionary signs and offer relevant lessons to consider as Vietnam faces a much more challenging phase of COVID-19 ahead.

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Firm COVID-19 Monitoring Survey?

?In order to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on Vietnamese firms, the World Bank designed a Business Pulse Survey (BPS) to assess the various channels of impact of the pandemic on firms, their adjustment strategies, and public policy responses. The first round of the BPS was implemented in Vietnam in June 2020 and collected responses from 499 firms through a mix of phone and in-person interviews. Four subsequent rounds will be conducted in September 2020, November 2020, January 2021, and March 2021. The firm surveys are being collected by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, under the supervision of the World Bank.  

Household COVID-19 Monitoring Survey??

To monitor the social and economic effects on households amid the pandemic, the World Bank designed and conducted its COVID-19 High-Frequency Phone Surveys of Households in Vietnam. This monitoring data helps gather insights on household well-being as post-lockdown reopening unfolds, and to highlight the effects on the most vulnerable members of Vietnamese society. The household surveys are collected by the Mekong Development Research Institute, under the supervision of the World Bank. 

Financial Acknowledgments 

The firm and household surveys are being funded with the generous support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the World Bank Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building. 

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024