HUMAN DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN VIETNAM: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of human development policies in Viet Nam from the period of renovation in 1986 to the year 2025. Using the United Nations Development Programme's human development framework, the paper analyzes long–term trends in the Human Development Index and evaluates primary policy outcomes in education, healthcare, social welfare, and poverty reduction. Comparative findings indicate that Viet Nam has made remarkable progress in expanding basic education, improving public health, and reducing poverty, yet continues to face significant challenges related to regional inequality, limited quality of higher education, population aging, and the demands of digital transformation. The paper identifies structural constraints that may hinder sustainable progress and proposes strategic orientations for 2025–2030 to enhance the quality of human resources, strengthen institutional capacity, promote equitable development, and align human development with green growth and international integration.