In the mountain tourist hotspot of Sa Pa, children as young as 4 or 5 can be found standing for hours in the cold, dancing, selling goods or begging visitors for money, right beside warning signs, loudspeaker announcements and regular patrols by local authorities.
Child labour in Vietnam has declined significantly in recent years, falling from 5.3% in 2020 to 1.7% in 2023, according to official data. But the most exploitative forms - including forced child labour and forced child begging – have proven harder to eliminate.
Data from the General Statistics Office in 2023 show that 76.4% of child labourers in Vietnam come from rural areas, including mountainous regions. Alongside interventions, rescue operations, and awareness-raising efforts, in 2026, the government issued Decree No. 98/2026/ND-CP, which sets out administrative penalties for child exploitation in a bid to address the issue.
Parents send children directly to the street
In Sa Pa, child begging has persisted for decades. By 2024, local figures recorded around 100 street children alongside 50-60 adults involved in vending and begging. Following a series of interventions, the number fell to about 30 in the first half of 2025 and to fewer than 10 after enforcement campaigns. However, reports in 2026 suggest the problem has resurfaced.
Authorities have rolled out a mix of enforcement and softer measures, including fines and warnings, alongside school enrolment campaigns and livelihood support for families. Tourists are also urged not to give money to children, with warnings delivered through loudspeakers, patrols and direct messages.
However, these efforts cannot completely solve the issues.
Many of the children seen begging come from poor H’Mông and Dao households. On a good day, they can earn between VND 500,000 and 1,5 million (around USD $20-60) from tourists – an immediate source of income that can push families to prioritise street earnings over schooling
“As long as tourists continue to give money or buy from children in Sa Pa, families will keep sending them onto the streets because it remains a reliable source of income,” a local official said to Tuoi Tre. “We have tried to create alternative livelihoods, but few can match the immediate earnings from children selling goods or approaching tourists.”
Similarly, a VTV report in early 2026 highlighted children in Thanh Hoa being forced to sell goods late into the night. Notably, most cases did not involve organised networks, but parents themselves were directly sending children onto the streets. Despite intervention and rescue efforts by authorities, the case once again raised concern over child exploitation.
Data from the General Statistics Office in 2023 show that about 731,600 children aged 5 to 17 were engaged in economic activities, representing 3.5% of the child population, with more than 269,600 classified as child labourers. The data also show that 76.4% of child labour cases are in rural areas, with 18.6% work at night (between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m). Nearly 35% involve in hazardous work, and more than 12% have at least one health issue.
Up to USD $1890 fine for child exploitation
Decree No. 98/2026/ND-CP, which takes effect on May 16, 2026, sets out administrative penalties for violations in social protection and child welfare, with a focus on curbing child exploitation. Key provisions include:
- Forcing children into excessive housework that interferes with their education, rest or development: fines of VND 20–30 million (about $758–$1,137).
- Organising or coercing children into begging, or luring them into exploitative or illegal labour: VND 30–40 million (about $1,137–$1,518).
- Providing unsafe products, harmful food or addictive substances to children, or allowing their use: VND 30–40 million (about $1,137–$1,518).
- Misusing children’s images or personal data for profit or harmful content (in non-criminal cases): VND 40–50 million (about $1,518–$1,890).
- Caregivers abusing their roles to force dependents, including children, into hazardous or excessive labour: VND 20–30 million.
- Inciting or coercing dependents into illegal activities: VND 30–40 million.
The fines apply to individuals and are doubled for organisations. Maximum penalties reach VND 50 million for individuals and VND 100 million for organisations, alongside additional measures such as business suspension.
Alongside a steadily improving legal framework, Vietnam has strengthened its national efforts through targeted programmes, including the 2026-2030 child labour prevention initiative, expanded labour force surveys, and cooperation with international organisations such as the ILO and UNICEF.
Authorities have also stepped up inspections, media campaigns and support measures for affected children, including access to education and counselling. However, challenges remain.
Stronger enforcement will need to match with stronger support
The government’s latest decree on child exploitation marks a stronger legal framework and tougher penalties to deter practices such as forced begging and other forms of child exploitation. However, given that many cases occur in underdeveloped areas and involve low-income households of less than VND 20 million per year, fines of up to VND 50 million may prove difficult to enforce effectively.
Rather than encouraging compliance, the fines trigger resistance from low-income families, who may perceive fines as unfair and respond by hiding children’s activities or continuing the practice. Research on legal compliance in Vietnam shows that enforcement is often weaker among poorer households due to low trust and economic pressure. With around 70% of child labour cases linked to those households, heavy penalties risk being counterproductive.
Stronger enforcement will need to be matched by expanded support to close education gaps and ease the economic pressures on low-income families. Therefore, while local authorities in areas like Sa Pa have made some commendable efforts, a broader national effort should also be made to reduce poverty sustainably in these areas and across the country. Poverty reduction is key to addressing the issue, as it has helped cut child labour by 2.5 times between 2018 and 2023, according to UNICEF.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of the decree will depend not just on enforcement, but on whether the conditions that push children onto the streets can be meaningfully reduced.
