Energy transition, poverty and inequality: panel evidence from Vietnam

Nguyen, Trung Thanh and Nguyen, Thanh-Tung and Hoang, Viet-Ngu and Wilson, Clevo (2019): Energy transition, poverty and inequality: panel evidence from Vietnam. Published in: Energy Policy , Vol. 132, (12 June 2019): pp. 536-548.

Abstract

This paper investigates energy transition, energy poverty and energy inequality in Vietnam employing a longitudinal dataset of a nationally representative household survey. We use the data on residential energy expenditure of more than 9,000 households over the period 2004 - 2016. We find a transition from traditional energy to modern energy but this transition varies across regions, between ethnic and welfare groups and between rural and urban population. The poor and ethnic minority households still rely heavily on traditional energy sources such as coal and biomass to meet their energy demands. Electricity poverty has decreased but energy-cost poverty has increased. In addition, energy inequality tends to decrease at a more significant rate than income and consumption inequalities. We propose a national program for energy poverty alleviation be established to devise policies to lower households’ energy costs. Further assistance to the poor and ethnic minority households is also recommended so that they can afford a higher level of electricity consumption.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: household energy consumption expenditure; Gini coefficient; Lorenz curve; seemingly (un)related regression; probit regression.
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products; P - Economic Systems > P2 - Socialist Systems and Transitional Economies; P - Economic Systems > P2 - Socialist Systems and Transitional Economies > P28 - Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment; P - Economic Systems > P3 - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions > P36 - Consumer Economics ; Health ; Education and Training ; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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