The impact of migration on multidimensional poverty in rural Vietnam: the moderating role of social assistance

Purpose This article examines how migration influences multidimensional poverty in Vietnam and how social assistance moderates this relationship, aiming to contribute to the limited research on the impact of migration on multidimensional poverty and the regulatory role of social assistance in this context. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a Probit model for binary variables to analyze panel data from 2,800 rural households in Vietnam. The data were retrieved from the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) from 2016 to 2018. Findings The findings indicate that the presence of migrants in a household decreases the likelihood of the household experiencing multidimensional poverty, with migration playing a role in raising household incomes and alleviating deficiencies in education, living conditions and access to information. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that when migration is accompanied by social assistance, the probability of households falling into multidimensional poverty decreases significantly, particularly in health, housing, living conditions and income. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the multidimensional poverty-reducing effects of migration and the regulatory role of social assistance in enhancing these effects. The findings offer practical implications for policymakers in designing targeted interventions and strengthening social assistance programs to optimize the poverty-alleviating potential of migration in Vietnam.