Economics & Development

Viet Nam’s investment in its youngest generation is fundamentally an investment in the country’s future human capital. Today, over 10 million Vietnamese children under age 6 (with another one million expected in the next five years) will reach working age by 2040. This cohort is projected to comprise about one-fifth of the national labor force by that time, forming a vital base of tomorrow’s workforce. Their education and early development–from preschool participation to foundational skill acquisition–will significantly shape Viet Nam’s productivity, equity, and long-term growth. Recognizing this, the nation’s leadership has increasingly prioritized early childhood education and care (ECEC) within its human capital development agenda. Viet Nam has already made notable gains in education and health outcomes in recent decades, as reflected in rising Human Capital Index rankings and learning assessments (with secondary-level math scores now approaching averages in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Building on this progress, attention is turning to the early years as the next critical frontier for sustaining human capital improvements.