The document summarizes a repeat survey conducted in 2006 of households originally surveyed in 1998 in Vietnam to measure changes in poverty levels. Some key findings: - Poverty decreased in all communes surveyed between 1997 and 2006 based on responses to questions about basic necessities. Inequality also decreased in three of the communes. - There was a high correlation (0.99) between what men and women viewed as basic necessities. - The survey, called the Basic Necessities Survey (BNS), uses a simple questionnaire format to understand possessions and expectations of basic items to measure poverty in a way that is easy to analyze and communicate. - Future applications of the BNS discussed include using it