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SURVEY

Hope springs eternal themselves likely or quite likely to travel
abroad this year for holidays.
Meanwhile, when considering the avail-
The End of Year survey conducted by Indochina Research (Vietnam) ability of a safe and effective vaccine in the
reveals that Vietnamese have a largely positive attitude towards how coming months, 97 per cent of respondents
2021 will play out. would strongly agree (66 per cent) or agree
(31 per cent) to being vaccinated.

2021- A year of economic prosperity?
Regarding economic development, 63 per
t the end of 2020, the year of the significantly (by 16 percentage points) from cent of respondents believe that 2021 will be a
Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnamese felt 2017 (28 per cent) to 44 per cent in 2020. year of economic prosperity while 25 per cent
A quite optimistic about the year to believe it will remain the same as 2020 and only
come. Seven out of ten respondents (67 per Covid-19 pandemic handling 12 per cent believe it will be even more difficult.
cent) believe that 2021 will be a better year and vaccination According to Mr. Depouilly Xavier, General
compared to 2020, according to the End of Vietnamese were the most grateful and Manager of Indochina Research (Vietnam), the
Year survey for 2020 conducted via face-to- appreciative of how their government handled past year has been challenging for many people,
face interviews by Indochina Research (Viet- the Covid-19 pandemic among all countries considering the economic impact of the pandemic
nam). Interviews were carried out from October surveyed. Indeed, 99.8 per cent consider that on business activities, but this has also been a
31 to November 12 with a representative sample the government handled the crisis well or time to find new efficiencies, thanks to improved
of some 600 Vietnamese citizens living in very well. use of technologies. “Luckily the situation in
urban districts in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City Though the situation in Vietnam is largely Vietnam is much better compared to many
and aged 18 to 64. under control, 66 per cent of respondents countries around the world, thanks to its people
declared they were either very negatively (12 and economic resilience,” he said. “We are now
Happy and healthy Vietnamese per cent) or negatively (54 per cent) impacted in a difficult time to make predictions, but we
Despite the global pandemic, a large major- by the Covid-19 crisis. Additionally, signifi- all hope for a slow return to ‘normal’, looking
ity (90 per cent) of respondents consider cantly more respondents in Hanoi declared forward to growth of 5 to 6 per cent in 2021.”
themselves to be healthy (76 per cent) or being negatively impacted (61 per cent) com- Vietnam is now more strongly intercon-
very healthy (14 per cent), while only 10 per pared to Ho Chi Minh City (47 per cent). nected with foreign economies and depends
cent consider themselves to be somewhat Conversely, more respondents from Ho Chi on FDI and rising production, so economic
unhealthy. This year’s results are on par with Minh City declared being personally positively development predictions for this year cannot
the previous two years. impacted (17 per cent) or very positively be solely based on internal factors and must
The status of good health may stem from impacted (7 per cent). also take into account how and when foreign
the rather high level of Vietnamese getting Despite the economic impact from a lack countries tackle Covid-19 and how customer
regular exercise (44 per cent in 2020) or from of foreign tourists, travel restrictions are also demand evolves. “Internally, we can be opti-
the rather high level of non-smokers (69 per considered acceptable by 99.8 per cent of mistic, as people are driving development and
cent) and non-drinkers (41 per cent). It should respondents, to help fight the spread of Covid- 63 per cent of respondents in our End of Year
also be noted that the incidence of urban 19. Believing 2021 will be a better year, three survey consider that 2021 will be a year of
Vietnamese getting regular exercise increased out of ten respondents (31 per cent) consider economic prosperity,” Mr. Xavier added. %

VIETNAM IN 2020 END OF YEAR - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN 2021

63% 89% Remains the same

25%
feel happy with feel they are healthy
their life

59% 67%

think 2021 will be think that 2021 will
a year of prosperity be a better year

Economic Prosperity
98% 100% Economic difculty 63%
12%
compliment the express strong belief
government’s pandemic in the capacity of
control efforts health institutions

End of year survey 2020, eldwork on October 31st to November 12th 2020, Hanoi and HCMC, n=600 urban Source: Indochina Research Vietnam

FEBRUARY 2021 | VIETNAM ECONOMIC TIMES | 39