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Vietnam's Development Success Story and the Unfinished SDG Agenda

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  • Ms. Anja Baum

Abstract

Despite starting as one of the poorest countries in the mid-1980s, Vietnam has achieved rapid developmental progress, reaching lower middle-income status in 2010. In line with rapid economic growth, Vietnam has achieved impressive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during this time. This paper sheds light on some elements of Vietnam’s success story, highlighting crucial policies in education and electricity sectors. It undertakes a forward-looking costing exercise that focusses on five sectors – education, health, roads, water, and electricity infrastructure. Achieving the remaining SDGs in Vietnam will be a challenge, with total annual additional spending needs in the 5 subsectors estimated at 7 percent of GDP by 2030.

Suggested Citation

  • Ms. Anja Baum, 2020. "Vietnam's Development Success Story and the Unfinished SDG Agenda," IMF Working Papers 2020/031, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2020/031
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. World Bank, 2000. "Vietnam - Managing Public Resources Better : Public Expenditure Review 2000, Volume 1. Main Report," World Bank Publications - Reports 15002, The World Bank Group.
    2. Fay, Marianne & Yepes, Tito, 2003. "Investing in infrastructure : what is needed from 2000 to 2010?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3102, The World Bank.
    3. repec:wbk:wbpubs:13933 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Hai-Anh H. Dang & Paul W. Glewwe, 2018. "Well Begun, but Aiming Higher: A Review of Vietnam’s Education Trends in the past 20 Years and Emerging Challenges," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(7), pages 1171-1195, July.
    5. Nga Nguyet Nguyen, 2002. "Trends in the education sector from 1993 - 98," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2891, The World Bank.
    6. World Bank, 2000. "Nepal : Public Expenditure Review, Volume 1. Main Report," World Bank Publications - Reports 15153, The World Bank Group.
    7. repec:wbk:wbpubs:2594 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Amr Hosny, 2021. "Adapting to Climate Change in Vietnam: Insights from a Structural Model," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(2), pages 145-152, June.
    2. Valeria Lauria & Justin Yifu Lin & Xin Wang & Yawen Zheng, 2025. "Development strategy, infrastructure, and premature deindustrialization: Comparing Asian, African, and Latin American economies," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 304-340, March.
    3. Tuan Nguyen Tran, 2023. "A comparative study of urban land use efficiency of the cities of Hai Phong and Can Tho, Vietnam," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 11(3), pages 43-53, September.
    4. Kim, Sung Eun & Park, Jong Hee & Rhee, Inbok & Yang, Joonseok, 2025. "What do aid recipients want? Public attitudes toward foreign aid in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    5. Arve Hansen, 2022. "Negotiating Unsustainable Food Transformations: Development, Middle Classes and Everyday Food Practices in Vietnam," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(3), pages 1441-1459, June.
    6. Nguyen, Thanh Viet & Simioni, Michel, 2025. "Technical progress, technical efficiency, and environmental change: New insights into Vietnam’s productivity growth," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1266-1283.
    7. Nguyen, Thi Cuc & Miatto, Alessio & Kim, Junbeum, 2024. "Material services in an emerging economy: Tracking resource utilization in Vietnam's shelter, thermal comfort, and road transportation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    8. Vo Thanh Tam & Huynh Ngoc Chuong & Pham Khanh Nam, 2026. "Employment structures and human capital returns: propensity score matching evidence from Vietnam," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 6259-6286, April.
    9. Lien Pham, 2025. "Balancing Financial Risks with Social and Economic Benefits: Two Case Studies of Private Sector Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Suppliers in Rural Vietnam," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Amarasekara, Chandranath & Venuganan, Poongothai, 2021. "Comparative Review of the Human Capital Development Journeys of Vietnam and Sri Lanka," MPRA Paper 111204, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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