Of the 6,000 survey participants, 71.9% rated themselves as "Happy" or "Very Happy".
The first locality in Ho Chi Minh City to announce the criteria for a "Happy Ward".
This is the first time Ho Chi Minh City has had a locality announce a set of criteria for measuring the level of happiness and quality of life of its citizens.
The criteria were developed starting in March 2026, based on models for measuring happiness in many cities both domestically and internationally, combined with field surveys, group discussions in the area, professional seminars, sociological surveys, and feedback from residents in 52 neighborhoods.
After numerous revisions, the official set of criteria comprises three dimensions, ten criteria, and 50 specific measurement indicators, closely reflecting the daily living experiences of the people. The three dimensions are material, spiritual, and cognitive.
According to the organizers, the survey was conducted on 6,000 valid samples after data cleaning. The data was assessed as highly comprehensive, reflecting relatively fully the demographic structure of a "compact" urban ward like Thu Duc.
The survey sample included participants from diverse age groups, occupations, and residential backgrounds, ranging from civil servants, business employees, freelancers, entrepreneurs, students, retirees, renters, and homeowners.
The survey results show that the awareness aspect received the highest average score, at approximately 7.4 points. This is also the group of indicators that clearly reflects the optimism and attachment of the people to their locality.
"Many survey participants said they felt proud to be residents of Thu Duc, wished to stay in the area for the long term, believed the locality would continue to develop, and were willing to share positive aspects of the ward with others," the survey results indicated.
Next, the emotional aspect scored around 7.2 points, reflecting feelings of support, neighborly connections, a positive outlook on life, and satisfaction with one's current life.
Meanwhile, the material aspect scored around 7 points, the lowest among the three criteria groups. The issues most frequently raised by residents included the pressure of living costs, traffic congestion, flooding, urban noise, lack of green spaces, work stress, and insufficient leisure time.
The survey also noted that people's self-perceived happiness score averaged 8.1 out of 10; while the overall happiness score, based on all criteria, was 7.1 points.
Out of a total of 6,000 survey participants, 71.9% rated themselves as "Happy" or "Very Happy," with approximately 26% giving a perfect score of 10/10. The group rating themselves as "Less Happy" or "Very Less Happy" accounted for only about 2%; the "Average" group accounted for 26.3%.
According to the research team's assessment, this result reflects the relatively optimistic attitude of the people in the face of urban pressures related to infrastructure, living costs, and a fast-paced lifestyle.
The survey report also revealed significant differences among population groups. High-income earners or middle-aged working-age individuals often face greater pressure regarding work and work-life balance. Meanwhile, self-employed individuals and renters are more concerned about housing, social housing, and a stable living environment.
One notable aspect is that the criteria do not focus solely on infrastructure indicators, but rather on people's actual perception of their quality of life.
According to the research team, the survey questions were designed to be easy to understand and relatable so that various groups of residents could access and respond accurately. The system also eliminates invalid responses, verifies identifying information, and categorizes data to ensure accuracy before calculating aggregate indicators.
Citizen happiness is a measure of governance effectiveness.
As the city's strategic research agency, the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies has collaborated with the locality in accessing modern research methods, ensuring the scientific , objective, and practical nature of the criteria and survey results.
Mr. Pham Binh An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Research, highly praised the initiative of Thu Duc ward in implementing the happiness criteria set at the grassroots level for the first time. He believes that the happiness criteria set is particularly significant because it directly reflects people's perceptions of the quality of life and the effectiveness of local government administration.
According to Mr. Pham Binh An: "This is a new approach in local governance, shifting from a purely administrative management model to a people-centered governance model. The happiness criteria reflect how people truly feel about their lives, policies, and living environment."
According to him, measuring happiness is not simply about assigning scores, but also about helping the government see areas for improvement from the perspective of the people.
He also stated that the process of developing the criteria faced considerable difficulties because the concept of "happiness" is abstract and very difficult to quantify. The research team had to consult many international models and adjust the survey language to suit different population groups.
"To get accurate measurements, people need to understand what we're asking and reflect their true feelings. This is not simple at all because the population is very diverse," he said.
According to Mr. Pham Binh An, the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Research will continue to research and refine the model to advise on its expansion to other localities in the future.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Mai Huu Quyet, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Thu Duc Ward, assessed that the set of criteria was meticulously developed, drawing on experiences from many cities around the world and incorporating input from experts, neighborhood leaders, and residents.
Mr. Mai Huu Quyet believes that the 6,000 valid survey responses are not just statistics, but also represent the voices, expectations, and sentiments of the people conveyed to the government.
"I was truly moved to learn that, through the Zalo community network and QR codes, 6,000 people from 52 neighborhoods have opened up and shared their genuine thoughts and experiences."
"The 6,000 valid survey responses are not just meaningless numbers on a chart; they represent the hearts, expectations, beliefs, and even the worries and concerns that the people have entrusted to the government," Mr. Mai Huu Quyet expressed.
According to the leaders of Thu Duc ward, the self-perceived happiness score reached 8.1/10, with 71.9% of residents rating themselves as happy or very happy, a very commendable result. The highest score in the area of awareness shows that residents have faith and optimism towards their locality. This is a crucial "social capital" for building a sustainable community.
However, he also acknowledged that many life pressures still exist, especially issues related to traffic, flooding, noise pollution, high living costs, and a lack of green space.
According to him, in the coming time, the ward will accelerate digital transformation, strengthen channels for receiving feedback via Zalo and social media, and shorten the time to handle urban issues to 24-48 hours.
The locality will also continue to reform administrative procedures, improve the quality of service provided by civil servants, review public land resources to develop parks and green spaces, and coordinate to promote infrastructure projects to reduce traffic congestion and flooding.
Thu Duc Ward also aims to implement the "5-in-1" model, helping residents access essential services such as healthcare, education, employment, entertainment, and creativity within a 10-15 minute travel radius.
Mr. Mai Huu Quyet believes that building a "Happy Thu Duc Ward" is a long-term journey that requires the participation of both the government and the people.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/gan-72-nguoi-dan-tu-danh-gia-dang-song-hanh-phuc-229638.html
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