This paper exploits a four round panel survey of more than 2000 households in 12 provinces in rural
Vietnam over the 2006-12 period (the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey), and
examines welfare dynamics over the period using different measures. The aggregate picture is one
of substantial progress in living conditions over the period, but there is in fact substantial
heterogeneity in this, both at the province and the household level. One poor province in the North,
Lao Cai has made virtually no progress on average over this period, while many others, including
some poor provinces, have advanced significantly. At the household level possession of assets is
associated with a greater likelihood of getting better off as is engaging in wage work; shocks are a
significant factor reducing living conditions for some households, even for some welfare indicators
such as food expenditure and assets which should be relatively stable over time. Non-kinh
minorities are significantly poorer in the data and also progress less over the period,
notwithstanding many policy initiatives undertaken by government.