The document summarizes a repeat survey conducted in 2006 of households originally surveyed in 1998 in Vietnam to measure changes in poverty levels. Some key findings: - Poverty decreased in all communes surveyed between 1997 and 2006 based on responses to questions about basic necessities. Inequality also decreased in three of the communes. - There was a high correlation (0.99) between what men and women viewed as basic necessities. - The survey, called the Basic Necessities Survey (BNS), uses a simple questionnaire format to understand possessions and expectations of basic items to measure poverty in a way that is easy to analyze and communicate. - Future applications of the BNS discussed include using it

1. The 2006 Basic Necessities Survey A repeat survey of households that were originally surveyed in 1998/9, in Can Loc District, Vietnam. The Basic Necessities Survey (BNS) is a simple and innovative method of measuring poverty, producing results that are easy to analyse and easy to communicate.

5. Changes in possessions 1997-2006 The menu, in English

6. Changes in expectations 1997-2006

7. Fit between expectations and possessions in 2006

8. Constructing a BNS score Step 1 BNS = Basic Necessities Score Low score = more poor High score = less poor New menu items introduced in 2006

9. Constructing a BNS score Step 2

10. Least poor Poorest

11. Blue line – 1997 status of households. Pink squares = their 2006 status

12. BNS scores Across communes Across time Poverty has decreased in all four communes Inequality has decreased in three communes But there is a caveat here

13. Correlation between men and women’s views of what are basic necessities = 0.99

14. Official head count of poverty says 41% of households are poor. If BNS and official head count measure the same thing, all officially poor households will be to the left of the line. We are now investigating if this is the case.

15. Cumulative average % of those who say their household is poor