Binh Duong’s per capita income highest in Vietnam

Binh Duong (VNA) – The southern province of Binh Duong surpassed Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to top the nation’s per capita monthly income in 2020, the General Statistics Office (GSO) has said.

According to the GSO’s survey on local living standards in 2020, which covered nearly 47,000 households across 63 cities and provinces, the province’s per capita income was more than 7 million VND (303.93 USD) per month, while that of the southern hub was 6.537 million VND, and Hanoi 5.981 million VND.

The national average was 4.23 million VND, with the per capita income in urban areas reaching more than 5.5 million VND, rural areas 3.48 million VND.

In terms of regions, the southeast region had the highest monthly per capita income, at over 6 million VND, 2.2 times higher than that of the northern midland and mountainous region which had the lowest monthly per capita income.

The survey pointed out that housing quality played an important role in deciding people’s living quality. Last year, 95.6 percent of households lived in permanent houses and semi-permanent houses. Only a small number of families resided in less-temporary houses and simple houses due to their long-standing practices, like those in the Mekong Delta and the northern midland and mountainous regions.

Although Binh Duong had a low percentage of households having permanent houses (6.3 percent), the province had no less-temporary and simple houses.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of poor families has continued to decrease thanks to social welfare policies, the GSO says. Policymakers, however, need to address the wealth gaps between urban and rural areas, the rich and poor as well as between regions./.