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This study primarily examines the influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Digital Financial Consumer Protection (DFCP), utilizing a dataset spanning 88 countries globally from 2014 to 2018, within the context of consumer welfare under diverse socioeconomic conditions. The research confirms a positive relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) evolution and digital finance consumer protection (DFCP) in OECD countries with inclusive institutions, competitive markets, and solid educational foundations. Conversely, a negative correlation is observed between ICT growth and DFCP in countries with moderate gender inequality. The study further confirms that ICT development positively influences DFCP due to contextual conditions (i.e. cybersecurity index, political stability, higher educational level, and market quality). Policy implications emphasize the need to address information inequality and protect consumer rights in the digital era. Measures to curb market monopolies of major tech companies and combat unauthorized data usage are recommended. Additionally, enhancing digital literacy is crucial for harnessing the benefits of ICT and promoting financial consumer welfare. Establishing a practical code of conduct aligned with market needs is also essential for ensuring consumer protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing studies have often ignored the fact that the impact of natural disasters on households may vary according to their dependence on agriculture. Moreover, no study has examined how natural disasters affect food consumption and cause economic damage and, more importantly, whether this effect varies across households. This study aims to explore the influence of natural disasters on the likelihood of households migrating, on their food consumption, remittances, and economic damage. In particular, the study analyzes whether the effect differs among rural households according to their dependence on agriculture. Assembled from three surveys in 2012, 2014, and 2016, we use a unique balanced panel dataset of 1929 households to investigate the influence of natural disasters on migration and household well-being in rural Vietnam. To account for unobservable time-invariant factors that may affect both migration and household well-being, we adopt a fixed-effect estimator. Analyzing a year of natural disasters, we discovered that these do, in fact, cause rural household migration. Further investigation reveals a heterogeneous effect. While natural disasters increase the probability of migration for those with average dependence on agriculture, this is not the case for those with low or high dependence. Natural shocks, however, have an increasing effect on remittances for the former group but not for the latter. Natural shocks cause economic damage for those who are moderately or heavily dependent on agriculture, but not for those who are less reliant on it. In addition, it was found that such shocks reduce the food consumption of those who are heavily reliant on agriculture. The findings imply that migrating may be an effective coping strategy for households with a moderate reliance on agriculture. In light of the finding that households with high reliance have a higher risk of falling into poverty after natural disasters, our study suggests that supportive policies should be prioritized for this vulnerable group. Also, a number of households in this group may face obstacles to migrating. Local government policies supporting their migration should be efficiently implemented, especially for those living in regions prone to natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), institutional quality and human development) in host countries from 2002 to 2019, using the Human Development Index [HDI] as the measure of human development. This study utilized a panel dataset of 143 countries, including both developed and developing economies, over a 17-year period. Additionally, the study employed a GMM (generalized method of moments) estimator to address unobservable heterogeneity and simultaneity. This study reveals a significant positive relationship between FDI and human development, with a stronger effect observed in developing countries compared to in developed countries. Notably, the impact of FDI-HDI nexus is larger in countries with moderately high-quality institutions, irrespective of their income level. Furthermore, good governance plays a crucial role in enhancing human development, as developing economies with high governance quality experience a greater impact of FDI on HDI compared to other countries. The findings of this study suggest that attracting FDI can be beneficial for enhancing the HDI, especially in developing countries. Additionally, the study highlights governance as a moderating factor in the relationship between FDI and HDI. Improving governance quality can enhance the positive impact of FDI on human development in host countries, especially in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate the economic and environmental impacts of a land consolidation program that leaves changes in the right to lands to be driven by the market on the performance of rice farms in Vietnam. We also investigate the effects of contract farming, which is associated with the land consolidation program, on farms' environmental performance. Using data from the 2014 and 2016 Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys and the 2016 Agricultural Census, we found that the program enhances agricultural productivity, but environmental sustainability comes at the cost of rice incomes for households. We suggest that while this land consolidation can be a useful measure to promote land consolidation for productivity enhancement, adequate tools need to be designed to accompany land consolidation strategies for environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of migration on the well-being of children under 5 in Vietnam. For the purpose of this study migration is measured by the proportion of residents who moved from one province to another five years ago, while children's well-being is proxied by nutritional status, height and weight for age, education, and childcare. Our estimation results show that migration increases the probability of child access to food, improves their nutritional status, and enhances childcare. Interestingly, the effects of migration on the nutritional status of children under 5 tend to be greater for children who has already had a better nutritional status. We find that income is a channel through which migration affects the well-being of children. Our findings suggest that promoting migration can be an effective tool for improving the well-being of children in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the spillover effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on domestic firms in Vietnam. We use distance between each district center and the 17th parallel north latitude as an instrumental variable for FDI firm density at the district level. The rationale for this instrument is that districts which are closer to the 17th parallel north latitude, are more likely to suffer from unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the Indochina wars and therefore attract fewer FDI firms. We find that 1% increase in FDI firm density leads to 0.2% increase in revenue and profit per employee of domestic firms. The main mechanism for this positive effect does not take place through technology spillovers but through backward linkages where domestic firms in districts with a higher FDI firm density have more FDI customers. Our study also shows the long‐term effect of war on the efficacy of domestic firms. In particular, 1% increase in the proportion of UXO‐contaminated areas reduces revenue and profit per employee of domestic firms by 0.28% and 0.29%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study uses a small area estimation method to estimate the average and inequality of per capita kWh consumption for small areas in Vietnam. It shows evidence of a large spatial heterogeneity in the electric power consumption between districts and provinces in Vietnam. Households in the mountains and highlands consumed remarkably less electricity than those in the delta and coastal areas. Notably, we find a U-shaped relationship between the inequality of electricity consumption and economic levels in Vietnam. In poor districts and provinces, there is very high inequality in electricity consumption. Inequality is lower in middle-income districts and provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of private sector development (PSD) in multidimensional poverty alleviation in Vietnam, using provincial panel data for the 2010–2019 period. PSD is measured as the proportion of the workforce in (i) all private firms, (ii) domestic private firms, and (iii) multinational firms, respectively. We use a two‐step general method of moment estimator to account for unobservable heterogeneity, simultaneity, and the relationship between current provincial characteristics and past provincial poverty. We find that each percentage point increase in private sector employment contributes to a reduction of 0.30% and 0.31% in multidimensional poverty and monetary poverty, respectively. Notably, further analysis confirms that a similar effect is also found for both domestic private and multinational enterprises. In addition, our study finds that economic growth and educational attainment emerge as major factors mitigating multidimensional and unidimensional poverty, while income inequality increases both poverty measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Vietnamese Living Standards Surveys for 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008, we explore how provinces with differential access to trade liberalisation reforms differ in their pro‐poor growth performance in Vietnam. Using both non‐parametric and parametric estimation, we find strong, robust evidence of pro‐poor growth in provinces with greater exposure to trade liberalisation. Using censored and uncensored regressions, the study also shows that increased wages play a critical role in this outcome. Our analysis enables identification of the core mechanisms through which the poor materialise their gains from trade‐driven growth in a transition economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land scarcity has frequently been cited as the primary barrier preventing rural households from pursuing better livelihoods in Vietnam and other developing societies. In this paper, we investigate the role of landlessness and landholdings in the choice of livelihoods and in household income in the Red River Delta, the most densely populated region in Vietnam. Using data from the 2018 Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey, our cluster analysis classifies five livelihoods pursued by local households, namely informal wage-earning jobs, formal wage-earning jobs, nonfarm self-employment, agriculture, and non-labor livelihoods. Non-laboring, agricultural, or informal wage-earning households earn less per capita income on average than formal wage-earning or nonfarm self-employment households, according to both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Our regression analysis demonstrates that land scarcity is not a significant obstacle preventing rural people from seeking gainful livelihoods in the region. The finding suggests that improving education and supporting non-farm activities should be high-priority government policies for local households with limited land and education. Such policies are expected to help them not only transform their livelihoods but also improve their economic well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do government institutions improve financial inclusion for households and wage earners in a transitional country? We answer this question in Vietnam, a socialist-oriented market economy that has seen rapid economic growth, while balancing economic prosperity with equity, social inclusion, and bolstering the state's governance and public administration performance. Our micro-econometric analysis provides fresh evidence that households in provinces with better institutions are more likely to receive larger formal loans, and have bank accounts, savings books, and ATM cards. Also, wage earners living in provinces with higher quality institutions are more likely to be covered by compulsory social insurance. The finding is robust to the choice of econometric specifications and control variables. Our research result implies that improving the quality of provincial institutions (or governance) is an effective way of enhancing financial inclusion for households and wage earners in rural Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study examines factors affecting children's cognitive ability in Vietnam for the period 2006–2016. We find that conditional wealth has a positive association with the cognitive capacity of 15‐year‐old children, manifested in all three methods of measurement: vocabulary points, math scores and reading comprehension scores in Vietnamese. Notably, the finding implies that improving household wealth after the children's first 1,000 days still plays an important role in the cognitive development of 5–12‐year‐olds. Also, it suggests that using conditional wealth enables us to capture the impact of economic shocks, thereby having a significant effect on the cognitive ability of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the effect of land fragmentation on farm efficiency and production diversification in Vietnam has been well established, no evidence exists for its effect on household food security. Using a unique dataset from household surveys in combination with micro‐econometric models, the current study examines the impact of land fragmentation on food security in the poorest districts of Vietnam's North Central Coast. Even after controlling for other factors in the models, we provide the first evidence that in Vietnam, ethnic minority households whose land holdings are fragmented are more likely to suffer from food insecurity. A higher likelihood of achieving food security is found for households whose members have better education and non‐farm self‐employment. The findings suggest that land policies that encourage land consolidation and improve the access of ethnic minorities to better education and non‐farm self‐employment would help them improve their food security. Such policies should be promoted in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using secondary data from a socio‐economic quantitative household survey of the North Central region of Vietnam, the main aim of our study is to analyze the causal effect of forest resources on household income and poverty. Based on the observed characteristics of a forest‐based livelihood and forest‐related activities, we use a propensity score matching (PSM) method to control for potential bias arising from self‐selection. The PSM results indicate that households with a forest‐based livelihood had a higher level of income and lower poverty rates than did those without. Interestingly, our findings confirm that a forest‐based livelihood offers much higher income than any other type of livelihood adopted by local households. Also, the poverty rate among households with a forest‐based livelihood is lower than those earning non‐labor income or engaged in wage/crop and crop livelihoods. Among households and provinces, we find varying opportunities deriving from forest resources, suggesting that there are potential barriers hindering local households from pursuing a forest livelihood or participating in some forest activities. Therefore, government policy and regulations on forest management should focus on improving the access of households to forest resources, while enhancing the sustainability of these resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the dynamics of income and income inequality in Vietnam from 2004 to 2014. Two main population subgroups are investigated: the ethnic majority, known as the Kinh people, and the minority group, which includes 53 minor ethnicities in Vietnam. The findings show that the income gap among ethnic groups has increased over the last decade. The Gini index decomposition indicates that wages and nonfarm business income are the two main determinants of income inequality. Cultivation and agricultural side-line incomes were relatively evenly distributed, despite their recent smaller equalizing effect. Both sub-population groups have experienced a declining contribution from the agricultural sector to overall household income. Changes in income inequality in Vietnam by income source reflect the change in the structure of the economy from reliance on agriculture to non-agricultural economic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the updated data from the 2016 Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey, this study examines the role of education in the livelihood of households in the Northwest region, the poorest region in Vietnam. Our micro-econometric analysis shows that education has a positive effect on choosing better livelihoods, household income and poverty reduction, even after controlling for all other factors in the models. However, our quantile regression analysis reveals that the returns on education are substantially heterogeneous across percentiles of income distribution and tend to be higher for better-off households. This implies that education has an increasing effect on within-level income inequality. The finding suggests that a conventional approach employing only mean regression to study the effect of education on income could miss heterogeneity of interest to policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first to study the lasting effects of innovation on firm profitability in Vietnam. Using a unique panel dataset for the period 2005–2015, our results show that innovators achieve higher profit in comparison with non-innovating firms. The positive effects of innovation on firm profitability are observed not only in the short term but also in the longer term. The benefits of innovation for firm profitability can be seen in higher export probability, better productivity, better access to formal credit, and the ability to secure government support, but only after innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our main objective in this research was to examine the role of land ownership in the choice of household livelihood in the rural Mekong Delta region, Vietnam. Using secondary data on rural households in the Mekong Delta region, we use cluster analysis techniques to classify livelihoods currently adopted by rural households. Using Bonferroni pairwise tests and quantile functions (Pen's parades), we then compare the income levels of identified livelihoods. Finally, we employ a multinomial logit model to examine different factors affecting the choice of livelihoods. We identify five livelihoods pursued by local households, and found that households engaged in farm work, formal wage-earning work and non-wage work livelihoods obtain higher levels of income than did those whose livelihoods depend on informal wage-earning work or non-labor income sources. We also found that several types of land are positively associated with the choice of high-return livelihoods, implying that lack of access to land is a potential obstacle to adopting a profitable livelihood. Also, we found education plays a major role in the pursuit of remunerative livelihoods, which suggests that better education would allow households to move from low- to high-return livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role of provincial governance in the growth of per capita income of Vietnamese households, using a balanced panel data set for the period 2012–2014. Although we found no evidence for the influence of provincial governance when a linear fixed‐effect regression estimator was used, the results from a fixed‐effect quantile regression estimator revealed that provincial governance has a positive effect on all groups (but not the poorest) and that the effect tends to be greater for better‐off households. In addition, we found that wage employment plays a larger role in the income growth of poorer households, whereas returns on education are greater for richer households. The findings suggest that a mean regression approach that looks only a t the role of explanatory variables on mean household welfare, and does not consider differences in the distribution of household welfare, may miss some heterogeneity that is of interest to policymakers. Key Practitioner Message: • Using a quantile regression approach has allowed the current study to provide new insight into the role of household‐related factors in household welfare. • Finding shows that good governance tends to provide greater benefits to richer households than to other groups in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between the access to homebuyer credits and housing satisfaction among those buying affordable apartments, using a sample of 1,000 respondents from our own survey in 2016 in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh Cities. Our regression analysis reveals the education level, the size and value of apartments are closely linked with the access to preferential homebuyer credits. Notably, we find that the access to preferential home loans has a strongly positive impact on housing satisfaction, after controlling for all other factors in the model. Thus, the finding confirms that preferential home loan programs play an important role in helping low-income households own affordable apartments and increase their housing satisfation. We also find that some other features of their apartments, such as the number of bathrooms and balconies, the distance from the apartment building to schools, bus stations and markets, are strongly linked with housing satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies on the linkage between government subsidies and firm financial performance often use a mean regression approach and focus mainly on developed countries. To fill the gap, this study, for the first time, considers the impact of government support activities on the profitability of manufacturing SMEs in a developing country, Vietnam. Using an unbalanced panel dataset covering the period 2009–2015, government financial supports show an insignificant linkage with firm profitability when using OLS. However, a fixed-effect quantile approach reveals that government financial support is negatively related for firms with low profit but is positively related for firms in the high profitability percentile. Our findings also suggest that policymakers should focus on helping start-ups instead of ineffective, informal firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a nationwide survey of provincial institutional quality and a sample of private manufacturing small and medium scale enterprises (the SMEs), this paper contributes to the literature by considering for the first time the effects of corruption on the financial performance of Vietnamese private SMEs. Interestingly, contrary to previous findings, we find that corruption when measured by a dummy variable, does not affect firms’ financial performance after controlling for heterogeneity, simultaneity and dynamic endogeneity. However, the intensity of bribery and the majority of the forms of corruption were found to have negative impacts on firms’ financial performance. Hence, a typical approach using only a dummy variable for bribery might not adequately evaluate the impact of bribe intensity or even ignores the negative impacts of some types of bribes on firms’ financial performance. The findings suggest that anti-corruption measures are vital for the development of the Vietnamese private SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a novel dataset involving 450 respondents living in their own affordable apartments in urban Hanoi, this study examines the housing satisfaction of the respondents and its correlates. We find that housing satisfaction is positively associated with household income but negatively related to education. Interestingly, the study finds that residents borrowing from banks to buy a home are less satisfied with their home than their non-borrowing counterparts. We also find that respondents’ positive evaluation of features of their apartments, such as the design, construction quality and price, is strongly linked with housing satisfaction. In addition, the location of the house and quality of the environment in the area were found to be major factors affecting housing satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence exists of a fast increase in the returns to education in Vietnam in the 1990s and 2000s. However, there was a huge change in education policy in the mid-2000s, opening up opportunities for education providers to expand enrolment. This may lead to a decline in the returns to education in later years when the changes have generated sufficient effect. To provide up-to-date estimates of the returns, we re-visit the returns using updated large survey data up to 2014. We apply the OLS and Heckman selection estimators which can correct for selection bias and find that both estimators provide a consistent trend of the returns, which increased quickly up to the global financial crisis in 2008/2009 and then declined afterwards. This raises a question whether higher educated labour force is oversupplied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining data from the 2011 Vietnam National Aging Survey and the 2011 Rural, Agricultural and Fishery Census, this study examined whether expenditure inequality has any effect on the quality of life (life satisfaction or happiness) among the elderly in rural Vietnam. It was confirmed from our regression analysis that individuals who live in the communes with high inequality tend to self-report as being less happy, even after controlling for various individual and household attributes. The findings are robust to the choice of inequality measures and the specification of econometric models. We also find that older rural people who are farmers or poor are more sensitive to inequality. Given that these people tend to be less happy than others, the result shows the risk that inequality further lowers their subjective well-being. This finding, in part, supports the view that rural Vietnam is not a mobile society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers for the first time the role of rising import competition on employment in Vietnam. Using a time differenced and instrumental variables approach, our study shows that import competition results in employment contraction. Firms operating in industries that face greater import competition have reduced employment. We also find strong evidence of a negative impact of import competition for small and very small firms, as well as in the period before Vietnam’s World Trade Organization (WTO) accession. Our results also reveal that previous studies at the industry-level can provide biased estimates because of not controlling for the heterogeneity of firm characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Vietnamese firm-level data to examine the relationship between firm productivity and exporting. In particular, this paper shows that more productive firms are more likely than less productive firms to export, consistent with the extensive prior literature. However, this paper finds no evidence that exporting affects productivity, which can be decomposed into technical efficiency change, technological progress, and scale change. Thus, the findings support a large role of self-selection in accounting for export decision, but little gain from learning-by-exporting in the case of Vietnamese Small medium sized enterprises (SMEs). These findings imply that export promotion policies may not be effective unless accompanied by strategies to help SMEs become more productive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the linkages between firm agglomeration and the welfare of households in Vietnam. We measured firm agglomeration by per capita firm output at the district level and household welfare by per capita income, expenditure, and poverty. We find that firm agglomeration helps households move from the informal sector to the formal sector. As a result, there is a positive effect of firm agglomeration on per capita income, per capita expenditure, and poverty reduction, albeit of a small and time-decreasing magnitude. The effect of firm agglomeration on per capita expenditure tends to be higher for households with men, younger, and more educated heads than households with women, older, and less educated heads. Households in rural areas and those that do not have crop land are more likely to benefit from firm agglomeration than those living in urban areas and having crop land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Little econometric evidence exists on the determinants of nonfarm participation among ethnic minorities in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the intensity of nonfarm participation and its correlates among ethnic minority households in Northwest Mountains – the poorest region of Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach – Factors affecting the level of nonfarm participation were examined by using a fractional logit model. In addition, regression analysis using analysis of variance models were used to compare the mean of household characteristics and assets between households with and without nonfarm employment. Findings – The study found that households depended heavily on agriculture for subsistence and their access to nonfarm employment is very limited. Households with nonfarm employment had much higher levels of education, income, assets and a much lower level of poverty than those without nonfarm participation. The intensity of nonfarm participation is positively associated with education levels, proportion of male working members and fixed assets but negatively correlated with the size of annual crop land and water surface for aquaculture. Also, the presence of nonfarm opportunities and paved roads in a commune increases the intensity of nonfarm participation for households living in that commune. Practical implications – The findings suggest that any poverty alleviation policies should aim at improving the access of ethnic minorities to education and nonfarm job opportunities. Originality/value – The study offers the first evidence of factors affecting the intensity of nonfarm participation among ethnic minorities in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the determinants of nonfarm participation and the effect of nonfarm employment on household income among ethnic minorities in the Northwest Mountains, Vietnam. The logistic regression analysis shows that education and the availability of local enterprises or trade villages, notably among other factors, have a significantly increasing impact on the likelihood of taking up wage employment, while the presence of paved roads gives households more chance to engage in nonfarm self-employment. Using a propensity score matching analysis, the study found that households that participated in wage or nonfarm self-employment have higher levels of per capita income than those without nonfarm employment. The findings imply that nonfarm employment offers a pathway out of poverty for ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article is the first to investigate both community and household determinants of poverty among ethnic minorities in the Northwest region of Vietnam. Results of a fractional logit and a logit model show that fixed assets, education and off-farm employment, among other household factors, have a strongly reducing effect on both the intensity and incidence of poverty. Furthermore, some commune characteristics were found to be closely linked to poverty. Notably, the presence of means of transport and post offices significantly reduces both poverty intensity and incidence. However, other commune and household factors affect only poverty incidence or intensity but not both. Hence, a typical approach using a logit/probit model that only examined the determinants of poverty incidence did not adequately evaluate or even ignored important impacts of some factors on poverty intensity. We draw both socio-economic household and commune level implications for poverty alleviation in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]