Level of migration by administrative levels

Although the population has constantly increased, migration has shown signs of decreasing in both quantity and proportion. Migrants tend to choose migration destinations within a familiar range.

Among the 88.4 million people aged 5 and older, there were 6.4 million migrants, or 7.3% of the total population. Intra-district and inter-district migrants accounted for 2.7% and 1.4%, respectively, and the group of inter-provincial migrants accounted for the largest proportion of 3.2%. Migration has shown a clear shift in quantity, proportion, and trends over the past three decades. The country's total population has continued to increase over time, but the migrant population only increased from 1989-2009, from 2.4 million in 1989 to 6.7 million in 2009, then decreased to 6.4 million in 2019. Correspondingly, the migration rate continued to increase sharply from 4.5% in 1989 to 6.5% in 1999 and to 8.5% in 2009, while in 2019, the migration rate decreased to 7.3%.

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The change in migration showed a link between migration and economic development in Viet Nam. From 1989-1999, increased migration trends were largely the result of policies encouraging migration to new economic zones, the transition from a subsidized centralized economy to a market economy, and the development of transportation. From 1999-2009, migration grew increasingly popular in the context of strong economic development with economic restructuring from agriculture to industry and services as well as the boom of industrial parks and export processing zones. However, from 2009-2019, the successful implementation of targeted programs and socio-economic projects in localities (such as the national target program for building new-style rural areas) narrowed the economic gap between urban and rural areas and among regions and areas, reducing the number of migrants.

Table 7.1: Population aged five years and older by migration levels, 1989-2019

1989 1999 2009 2019

Quantity (Thousand

persons)

Percentage (%)

Quantity (Thousand

persons)

Percentage (%)

Quantity (Thousand

persons)

Percentage (%)

Quantity (Thousand

persons)

Percentage (%)

Intra-district

migration - - 1,342.6 1.9 1,618.2 2.0 2,418.5 2.7

Inter-district

migration 1,067.3 2.0 1,137.8 1.7 1,708.9 2.2 1,199.0 1.4

Inter-provincial

migration 1,349.3 2.5 2,001.4 2.9 3,397.9 4.3 2,816.1 3.2

Non-migration 51,797.1³⁴ 95.4 64,493.3 93.4 71,686.9 91.4 81,719.4 92.5 International

immigration 65.9 0.1 70.4 0.1 41.0 0.1 229.0 0.2

Population 5+ 54,279.6 100.0 69,045.5 100.0 78,452.9 100.0 88,382.0 100.0

Comparing migration between administrative boundaries revealed a difference in common migration destinations before and after 2009. The number of migrants in all three categories generally increased from 1989-2009, with the exception of the proportion of inter-district migration, which decreased slightly from 1989-1999. By 2019, though intra-district migration continued to increase, inter-district and inter-provincial migration decreased in both quantity and proportion.

Thus, as the number of migrants shrank, migrants also tended to choose destinations within closer ranges.

34 The 1989 Census did not ask about migration among communes within a district, so non-migration here was identified as non-inter-district migration.

102 / RESULTS - THE VIET NAM POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS OF 00:00 HOURS ON 1 APRIL 2019 RESULTS - THE VIET NAM POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS OF 00:00 HOURS ON 1 APRIL 2019 | 99 Figure 7.2: Proportion of migrants by migration levels, 1989-2019

Unit: %

7.1.1. Inter-regional migration

The Central Highlands shifted from an in-migration region to an out-migration region. The Red River Delta and the South East remained the two in-migration regions.

Compared to previous Censuses, the picture of inter-regional migration in 2019 was distinct.

In the 1999 and 2009 Censuses, the Central Highlands and South East were two in-migration regions where the positive net migration rate or in-migrants exceeded out-migrants. However, according to the results of the 2019 Census, the Central Highlands shifted to be an out-migration region (negative net migration rate or out-migrants exceeded in-migrants). The Red River Delta and the South East were the only two in-migration regions in the country.

The net migration rate of the Central Highlands decreased from 76 in-migrants per 1,000 persons in 1999 to 9 in-migrants per 1,000 persons in 2009, and changed to 12 out-migrants per 1,000 persons in 2019. In the Red River Delta, the net migration rate decreased from 11 out-migrants per 1,000 persons in 1999 to 2 out-out-migrants per 1,000 persons in 2009 and rose to 8 in-migrants per 1,000 persons in 2019. Although the South East remained one of the two in-migration regions of the country, its net migration rate decreased significantly compared to 2009, falling to 73 in-migrants per 1,000 persons in 2009 compared to 117 in-migrants per 1,000 persons in 2009. The Mekong River Delta had the highest negative migration rate with 40 out-migrants per 1,000 persons.

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0

1989 1999 2009 2019

Intra-district migration Inter-district migration Inter-provincial migrationDi cư giữa các tỉnh 5.0

4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0

1989 1999 2009 2019

Intra-district migration Inter-district migration Inter-provincial migration

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Table 7.2: Net migration rate in the five years prior to the time of the Census by socio-economic region, 2009-2019

Unit: ‰ In-migration rate

in the 5 years prior to the Census

Out-migration rate in the 5 years prior

to the Census

Net migration rate in the 5 years prior

to the Census

2009 2019 2009 2019 2009 2019

ENTIRE COUNTRY 30 22 30 22 0 0

Northern midlands and mountain areas 9 5 27 23 -18 -18

Red River Delta 16 17 18 9 -2 8

North Central and Central coastal areas 6 5 45 30 -38 -25

Central Highlands 36 11 27 23 9 -12

South East 127 80 10 8 117 73

Mekong River Delta 4 5 46 45 -42 -40

To give a clearer picture of inter-regional migration, a cross-sectional analysis of out-migration and in-migration regions was conducted and presented in the following table.

In terms of in-migration, the South East continued to be the most popular destination for migrants with 1.3 million in-migrants, accounting for more than two-thirds of all in-migrants across the country and four times higher than the number of in-migrants into the Red River Delta (the region with the second-highest number of in-migrants). While the majority of in-migrants to the South East were from the Mekong River Delta (710,000 persons, accounting for 53.2%), people from the Northern midlands and mountain areas accounted for the majority of in-migrants into the Red River Delta (209,300 persons, accounting for 61.2%).

For out-migration, the Mekong River Delta and the North Central and Central coastal areas were the two regions with the highest numbers of out-migrants, with 724,800 persons and 544,500 persons, respectively. Most of the in-migrants from these two regions moved to the South East, the most developed economic region in Viet Nam with a thick network of industrial parks concentrated in the key economic quadrilateral, including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

104 / RESULTS - THE VIET NAM POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS OF 00:00 HOURS ON 1 APRIL 2019 RESULTS - THE VIET NAM POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS OF 00:00 HOURS ON 1 APRIL 2019 | 101 Table 7.3: Place of usual residence on 1 April 2014 and 1 April 2019

by socio-economic region

Unit: Thousand persons

Place of usual residence

on 1 April 2019 Total

Place of usual residence on 1 April 2014 Northern

midlands mountain and

areas

Red River Delta

North Central and

Central coastal areas

Central

Highlands South

East Mekong River Delta

TOTAL 1963.4 260.7 186.9 544.5 122.3 124.2 724.8

Northern midlands and

mountain areas 59.0 - 40.1 12.7 2.3 3.2 0.7

Red River Delta 341.9 209.3 - 107.0 6.5 16.3 2.9

North Central and

Central coastal areas 90.5 4.8 21.9 - 22.2 34.5 7.0

Central Highlands 58.8 5.5 6.9 27.2 - 15.1 4.2

South East 1,334.1 40.0 111.6 384.0 88.5 - 710.0

Mekong River Delta 79.1 1.1 6.4 13.6 2.8 55.1

-7.1.2. Inter-provincial migration

Twelve of the 63 provinces and cities directly under the Central Government had positive net migration rates. Binh Duong had the highest positive net migration rate (200.4‰) while Soc Trang had the highest negative net migration rate (-75.0‰).

The results of the 2019 Census showed that 12 of the 63 provinces had positive net migration rates. Binh Duong had the highest positive net migration rate (200.4‰) with more than 489,000 in-migrants and only about 38,000 out-in-migrants in the previous five years. In Binh Duong, of every five persons aged five years old and over, there was one person from another province. Bac Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang followed with net migration rates of 85.3‰, 75.9‰ and 68.4‰, respectively. Although the net migration rates were lower, Ha Noi and Dong Nai had a significant number of net migrants with 231,000 and 124,000 persons, respectively.

A number of provinces in the Mekong River Delta had high negative net migration rates, including: Soc Trang (-75.0‰), An Giang (-72.1‰), Ca Mau (-62.7‰), Hau Giang (-61.2‰), Dong Thap (-56.1‰), and Bac Lieu (-52.2‰).

Compared to the 2009 Census, three provinces shifted from net out-migration to in-migration, including Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, and Long An. Eight provinces shifted from net in-migration to out-migration provinces: Son La, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc, and Kien Giang.

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Map 7.1: Inter-provincial net migration rate by provinces and cities