6,400 billion VND for social benefits and social pensions in the first 9 months of the year

In the first nine months of the year, the state budget spent nearly VND6,400 billion on social subsidies and social pensions.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long said there are currently about 2.8 million elderly people receiving pensions and social insurance benefits. Photo: Duc Tuan

On October 17, at the Government headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long chaired a meeting of the National Committee on the Elderly.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that care for the elderly is being implemented comprehensively in many fields.

More than 14.1 million people have health insurance cards, 61 million health examinations and treatments under health insurance, costing more than VND58,000 billion; 225,000 elderly people continue to participate in voluntary social insurance, along with millions of people receiving social benefits and social pensions.

80% of the elderly have their health records managed; the country has over 100 hospitals with geriatric departments, tens of thousands of hospital beds and medical staff, and tens of thousands of volunteers.

However, our country has entered the population aging stage, from 9.5 million elderly people in 2014 to 16.5 million in 2025 and is forecast to become a country with an aging population by 2036.

"Population aging poses many challenges in terms of healthcare, social security, labor and community services, while the lives of a segment of the elderly, especially in remote areas, remain difficult," said Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong.

Mr. Truong Xuan Cu - Vice President of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly - expressed his interest in the silver economy (or silver-hair economy, this concept describes activities, products and services developed to meet the needs of the elderly) which is being developed in many countries.

In Japan, people 65 years old and over contribute 20% of GDP; in the US, people over 50 years old contribute 46% of GDP. Mr. Truong Xuan Cu suggested that the Government should develop a project on developing a silver economy as well as promptly have policies and solutions to encourage the development of elderly care facilities.

Representatives of the Association of the Elderly also said that they will organize an annual "Silver Economy Forum" to promote the development of the silver economy in Vietnam.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that in the first 9 months of the year, the state budget spent nearly 6,400 billion VND on social allowances and social pensions. Photo: Duc Tuan

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long said that the implementation of social security policies and regimes has achieved specific results. In the first 9 months of the year, the state budget spent nearly 6,400 billion VND on social subsidies and social pensions.

Currently, there are about 2.8 million elderly people receiving pensions and social insurance benefits , and nearly 70% of elderly people receive regular health check-ups...

The Deputy Prime Minister said that there are two issues that arise when encouraging the private sector to build facilities for the care of the elderly: land and taxes.

"You guys should consider how to quantify this policy, maybe stipulate it in the draft resolution submitted to the National Assembly or related laws," said the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that only then can we increase the number of facilities for elderly care.

The Government leader requested the Ministry of Health to urgently review and strengthen the network of geriatric hospitals in provinces and cities, first of all, to have a project to evaluate this geriatric healthcare system, to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, there are currently many policies on the elderly, contained in different documents and not all policies can be implemented immediately once they are issued. Some laws need to be amended and supplemented, and some require funding.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Health to study and develop a project to systematize and comprehensively evaluate all policies for elderly care, "clearly identify what needs to be done, how far it is being done, where it is located, and who is doing it", "because speaking in general terms is very difficult to implement".

According to Tien Phong Newspaper

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202510/6400-ti-dong-cho-tro-cap-xa-hoi-va-huu-tri-xa-hoi-trong-9-thang-dau-nam-8627ce6/