VSS has safeguarded the “social security” in flexibility, innovation, and responsibility way, fulfill its “dual objectives”: on the one hand, effectively organizing the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies to timely ensure  the rights and interests of tens of millions of citizens and workers; on the other hand, proactively restructuring organization under a new model while synchronously deploying important policy.

As the new year begins, public trust is therefore further strengthened, serving as a firm foundation for the Viet Nam Social Security system to continue moving forward in step with the nation’s development.

Illustrative image (VSS)

A Turning Point for Việt Nam’s Social Security System

In 2025, the international and regional landscape remained complex and unpredictable. Strategic competition among power countries,  geopolitical and trade tension and  risk of global supply-chain disruptions, continued to pose significant challenges. While these factors exerted indirect impacts, they had profound effects on the domestic economy, the labour market, production and business activities, and workers’ incomes—thereby directly influencing participation in and access to social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

In Vietnam, 2025 marked the rollout of a series of historic decisions on streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system and local administrations. Deploying the two-tier local government model  with decentralisation and delegation of authority, generated many new and unprecedented tasks. In particular, the Law on Social Insurance 2024 and the amended Law on Health Insurance 2024, which took effect on July 1, 2025, set exceptionally high requirements for policy implementation agencies. Among them is VSS which was tasked with ensuring continuity and smooth delivery of benefits,  rights of citizens and workers during the organisational transition.

In 2025, VSS marked historic change. From March 1, VSS became a specialised unit under the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with Government Decree No. 29/2025/NĐ-CP. VSS not only implements policy but also advises MOF on ensuring coherence and synergy between fiscal policy and the national social security policy.

The workload was immense: ensuring the full and timely payment of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance benefits; reorganizing the system under Party and State’s guidelines; and effectively implementing new legal provisions as the two-tier local government model came into operation.

Proactively and flexibly  deliver the “dual objectives”

Faced with large tasks and rising demands, under the comprehensive and direction of the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam Social Security closely followed the guidelines and policies of the Party, the National Assembly of Viet Nam, and the Government of Viet Nam, and proactively developed programmes, plans and scenarios suitable with each phase and situation. A consistent guiding principle was clearly defined: placing citizens and businesses at the centre and as the primary beneficiaries of public service, guided by the action motto “Solidarity – Discipline – Responsibility – Innovation – Flexibility – Effectiveness”.

The entire system acted in a coordinated, determined and flexible manner, adapting promptly to world fluctuations. Appropriate solutions were deployed under the two-tier local government model and in response to emerging challenges such as natural disasters, storms, floods, epidemics and labour mobility. This proactive, accountable and strong political lay a solid foundation for VSS to meet major targets on coverage of SI, HI and UI; collection and expenditure management; benefit payment; and safeguarding national social security in the final year of the 2021–2025 period.

One of the standout achievements of 2025 was  collection and participant increase. Based on early analysis of the socio-economic outlook and the positive  effects of the Ministry of Finance’s focused and targeted expansionary fiscal policy, VSS built scenario and instructed local social security offices to implement solutions suitable with local realities.

Besides, communication were stepped up to encourage workers to maintain participation in social and health insurance, while expanding coverage to new groups as soon as they have stable or improved incomes. On the other hand, stronger analysis and monitoring of enterprise cash flows were carried out to enable timely collection measures, limit late or evasive contribution, and protect the legitimate rights of workers.

As a result, coverage of SI, HI and UI has been expanded, meeting all targets assigned by the Government. By the end of 2025, SI participation reached 45.1% of the working-age labour force, including 39.6% in compulsory participation and nearly 5.5% in voluntary one.UI coverage reached at 35.6% of the working age labour force. HI coverage reached 95.16% of the population, exceeding the target assigned by the 13th National Party Congress Resolution—one of the  notable social security achievements of the term. Total premium collection of SI, HI, UI exceeded the Prime Minister’s assigned target by 8.46 %, up 15.3% compared to 2024.

To safeguard workers’ rights, VSS further strengthens specialized inspection and examination. In 2025, late SI premium identified prior to inspections totalled VND 768.34 billion, of which VND 387.51 billion was recovered. These efforts helped enhance discipline and compliance in deploying social and health insurance laws. These figures represent the concrete entitlements of workers —their  “wages” , protected through legal discipline and accountability.