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Private Safety Nets through Inter-Household Transfers: The Case of Viet Nam

Author

Listed:
  • Donald Cox

    (Boston College)

  • James Fetzer

    (Boston College)

  • Emmanuel Jiminez

    (World Bank)

Abstract

This paper uses the Viet Nam Living Standards Survey (VNLSS) to provide a snapshot of private transfer activity. We investigate private transfer patterns along a variety of dimensions, such as age, household resources, demographic make-up of the household and characteristics of the region of residence. We find that private transfers are substantial and widespread in Viet Nam, and their patterns suggest that they sometimes function like means-tested public transfers. They are targeted to vulnerable groups such as low-income households or those stricken with illness, for example. But they are also disproportionately given to the well-educated. A substantial fraction of elderly households receive private transfers, suggesting that they function in part as old-age support.

Suggested Citation

  • Donald Cox & James Fetzer & Emmanuel Jiminez, 1996. "Private Safety Nets through Inter-Household Transfers: The Case of Viet Nam," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 330., Boston College Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:boc:bocoec:330
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    File URL: http://fmwww.bc.edu/EC-P/wp330.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Private transfers; public transfers; income redistribution; altruism; risk sharing; social safety nets; Vietnam;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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