Rice harvesting (Photo: Vietnamnet)

(VOVworld) – A World Bank report says Vietnam’s poverty rate reduced from 58% to 20% over the past 20 years. At a conference to release “2012 Vietnam poverty assessment” in Thai Nguyen on Friday, the World Bank said the Vietnamese poor mostly concentrate in mountainous areas, including the Northeastern and Northwestern mountains and the Central Highlands.  The report also said poverty among the ethnic groups remains a lasting challenge to Vietnam. The World Bank’s report pointed out some of the key challenges for poverty reduction in the next decade, including changing regional patterns of poverty and wealth, high and persistent poverty among ethnic minorities, and rising inequality in outcomes and opportunities.