Regional Differences in Household Composition and Family Formation Patterns in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper studies household composition in Vietnam from a regional perspective. The analysis is based on data from the Vietnam Living Standards Survey conducted in 1992- 1993 (VLSS 1992-93) on a nationally representative sample of 4800 households. The results point to a higher proportion of nuclear families in the North, while more extended and multiple family households exist in the South. Analyses suggest that young couples of the southern regions tend to live with their parents more often, and for a longer period, than young couples of the North. Couples of the South and of the Center display more flexibility as to whether to live with paternal or maternal kin, whereas couples of the North feature a clear preference for co-residing with paternal kin. The discussion attempts to characterize the Vietnamese family based on these findings and reviews explanations for regional differences, namely north-south differences in housing stock characteristics, political history, cultural influences and migration patterns.