Youth see better living standard

Vietnamese youth enjoy a much better standard of living than they did just five years ago, according to the Survey Assessment of Vietnamese Youth released in Hanoi yesterday.

The survey, based on the responses of 10,050 young people aged 14-25 in every city and province in the country, was conducted by the General Department of Population and Family Planning, the General Statistics Office, the Asian Development Bank and the Project on HIV/AIDS Prevention in Young People.

Similar to results in the first survey in 2005, Vietnamese youth reported being optimistic about the country's rapid development which has given them opportunities and confidence in their future.

The survey results suggested young people had better access to education, jobs, and information than just five years ago. Over 70 per cent of respondents thought that their material lives would be better in three years' time.

Family remained the firmest support for young people, but the survey also gathered extensive information about Vietnamese youth in such areas as health, employment, and awareness and attitudes towards important issues in life.

The new survey also found that the dropout rate, particularly those under 15, was much lower than in the 2005 survey. Nearly 40 per cent of the interviewees said "to keep going to school" was their first wish for the next five years, while getting good academic marks was not only their dream but also their parents' top priority.

The northwest witnessed the lowest rate of young people attending school (86 per cent), compared to an overall average of 97 per cent.

The survey also saw an increasing trend of pre-marital sex among Vietnamese youth. Almost 10 per cent of the interviewees admitted having sex before marriage, while 53 per cent of young people living in cities and 34 per cent of those living in the countryside said premarital sex was acceptable.

On average young males had sex for the first time at the age of 18.2 while the girls had their first experience only slightly younger, at 18.

The survey also showed that acceptance of homosexual behavior ranged from 9 per cent among uneducated respondents to 24 per cent among university graduates.

About 60 per cent of Vietnamese youth thought prostitution was immoral, while 20 per cent thought prostitution could be understandable in some certain circumstances.