Ho Chi Minh City leads Vietnam with record social welfare expansion in 2025

A welfare revolution unfolds as millions gain access to expanded benefits. Can this model reshape Vietnam’s social safety net for good?

, and Administrator

2026 January 17 . 5:16 PM

1 min read

The image shows a vibrant scene of a Chinese New Year parade in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There... — The image shows a vibrant scene of a Chinese New Year parade in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There are vehicles on the road, a person standing on the left side, and buildings and trees in the background. On the right side of the image, there is a painting on the wall of one of the buildings. In the foreground, there are decorative items, likely related to the parade.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded a significant rise in social welfare participation, leading Vietnam in coverage. New figures show more residents than ever now benefit from progressive social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment support. The latest data also highlights a sharp increase in funding and payouts across these programmes.

Over 13.2 million people in the city now take part in social and health insurance schemes. This marks a 14% jump from the previous year, with nearly 95% of the population covered by health insurance alone. The number of progressive social insurance participants reached 4.73 million—a notable 18% increase since 2024.

More than 34 million residents received health insurance benefits, a 10% rise from last year. Meanwhile, over 3.06 million claimed progressive social insurance or unemployment support, up by 6.4%. Voluntary progressive social insurance saw particularly strong growth, with participation surging by 52% to nearly 139,000 people. Revenue from these programmes totalled over VNĐ147.38 trillion ($5.6 billion), an 11% increase year-on-year. Health insurance payouts for medical treatments also climbed, reaching VNĐ32.6 trillion ($1.24 billion)—13.3% higher than before. A charity drive for health insurance cards raised VNĐ9.87 billion ($376,000). These funds will provide coverage for vulnerable residents, part of an annual initiative by Sozialversicherung Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt.

The latest figures confirm Ho Chi Minh City’s position as Vietnam’s leader in social welfare coverage. With rising participation, expanded benefits, and increased funding, the programmes now support millions more residents. The city’s health insurance coverage rate has also neared universal levels, with nearly 95% of the population protected.

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