Vietnamese youth enjoy a much better standard of living than they did just five years ago, according to the Survey Assessment of Vietnamese Youth released in Hanoi on June 1.

The survey, based on the responses of 10,050 young people aged 14-25 in every city and province in the country, was conducted by the General Department of Population and Family Planning, the General Statistics Office, the Asian Development Bank and the Project on HIV/AIDS Prevention in Young People.

Similar to results in the first survey in 2005, Vietnamese youth reported being optimistic about the country's rapid development which has given them opportunities and confidence in their future.

The survey results suggested young people had better access to education, jobs, and information than just five years ago. Over 70 percent of respondents thought that their material lives would be better in three years' time.

Family remained the firmest support for young people, but the survey also gathered extensive information about Vietnamese youth in such areas as health, employment, and awareness and attitudes towards important issues in life.

The new survey also found that the dropout rate, particularly those under 15, was much lower than in the 2005 survey. Nearly 40 percent of the interviewees said "to keep going to school" was their first wish for the next five years, while getting good academic marks was not only their dream but also their parents' top priority.

The northwest witnessed the lowest rate of young people attending school (86 percent), compared to an overall average of 97 percent.

The survey also saw an increasing trend of pre-marital sex among Vietnamese youth. Almost 10 percent of the interviewees admitted having sex before marriage, while 53 percent of young people living in cities and 34 percent of those living in the countryside said premarital sex was acceptable.

On average young males had sex for the first time at the age of 18.2 while the girls had their first experience only slightly younger, at 18.

The survey also showed that acceptance of homosexual behaviour ranged from 9 percent among uneducated respondents to 24 percent among university graduates.

About 60 percent of Vietnamese youth thought prostitution was immoral, while 20 percent thought prostitution could be understandable in some certain circumstances./.