The household registration system knownas ho khau has been a part of the fabric of life in thecountry for over 50 years. The system was implemented as aninstrument of public security, economic planning, andcontrol of migration, at a time when the state played astronger role in direct management of the economy and thelife of its citizens. Although the system has become lessrigid over time, concerns persist that ho khau limits therights and access to public services of those who lackpermanent registration in their place of residence. Duelargely to data constraints, however, previous discussionsabout the system have relied largely on anecdotal or partialinformation. This report attempts to fill that gap, bybringing new data and empirical analysis to the table. Thereport covers five areas: 1) the history of the system; 2)the size and characteristics of the population withoutpermanent registration; 3) service access of those withoutpermanent registration; 4) the debate about the system inthe media and among policymakers; and 5) the fiscal impactsof increased migration. The final chapter considers possiblepolicy directions.
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