Multidimensional Poverty Among Khmer Ethnic Minority Households in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta: Measurement, Determinants, and Policy Implications

This study examines multidimensional poverty among Khmer ethnic minority households in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta using a two-tier analytical framework. Applying the AlkireFoster methodology to primary survey data from 497 Khmer households across four provinces (Vinh Long, Can Tho, Ca Mau, and An Giang) collected between April and June 2026, we estimate a multidimensional poverty rate (H) of 29.58%, an average intensity (A) of 51.43%, and an MPI of 0.1521 for the five-dimension model. Livelihood deprivation (81.49%) and digital exclusion (53.92%) emerge as the most prevalent forms of hardship. Binary logistic regression on N = 481 observations identifies three statistically significant correlates of multidimensional poverty: absence of informal community support networks (SOC: OR = 3.926, 95% CI [1.580, 9.753], p = 0.003), institutional deprivation (POL: OR = 1.497 per unit, 95% CI [1.178, 1.902], p = 0.001), and urban residence (AREA: OR = 0.411, 95% CI [0.171, 0.991], p = 0.048). Given the cross-sectional observational design, these associations should not be interpreted as causal effects. Urban Khmer households show lower adjusted poverty odds, though this result warrants cautious interpretation given the small urban subsample (n = 33). Cultural identity engagement shows a near-significant protective association (CUL: OR = 2.009, p < 0.10). Findings are robust across alternative poverty thresholds. These results contribute evidence on the role of informal social capital, institutional quality, and cultural capital in ethnic minority poverty dynamics in Southeast Asia.