Gov't to allocate US$16 billion for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas over next five years

The above figure includes VND100 trillion sourced from the central budget, VND300 trillion from local budget, and approximately VND23 trillion from state-funded policy credit sources.

The program targets to build modern, prosperous, culturally distinctive and sustainable rural communities in close association with urbanization and climate change adaptation. It also aims to promote a green, circular and ecological rural economy, aligned with agricultural restructuring, income improvement, social security, and gender equality.

Special focus will be placed on narrowing development gaps among regions, preserving ethnic cultural identities, strengthening national solidarity, and safeguarding national defense, security and social order, especially in strategic border, island and coastal localities.

Viet Nam is accelerating a comprehensive rural development strategy with strong emphasis on sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic progress in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, ensuring that no community is left behind in the country's modernization journey.

The Southeast Asian nation is home to 53 recognized ethnic groups, with ethnic minorities making up about 14.6 percent of the population (around 14.8 million people). These communities are mainly in mountainous, remote and border regions with infrastructural and socio-economic challenges.

Based on implementation outcomes, the Government will design a funding plan for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions for the 2031–2035 phase./.