Hundreds of deaths and thousands of serious injuries occur at workplace every year in Vietnam, causing losses in life, labor productivity and burden to the society. However, these injuries are poorly reported and little effort has been made to prevent them. Using data from the Vietnam Multi-Center Injury Survey in 2001, this study sought to provide better data on the extent and nature of occupational injuries. The overall rate of occupational injuries was 26.01/1000 among people aged 18 years and older, with higher rates in rural than urban areas. Handicraft workers had the highest rate of injury (46.4/1000) followed by farmer and individuals working privately. These rates are all consistently higher than the rates from official reports. This study highlights the need for strengthening current occupational injury surveillance system, to provide better understanding of the problem for setting priority and creating evidence based prevention strategies.