In the ageing society of Vietnam, the examination of the economic role of the elderly is significant to understand their social active participation. Using the data of the ministry-level project on "The role of the elderly in the ageing Vietnamese society" by the Institute for Family and Gender Studies in two years 2019-2020, the article aims to analyze the role of senior residents in various economic activities at the family and social levels. As shown in the research, in order to have a comprehensive vision of the economic role and contributions of the elderly, it is necessary to apply the productive ageing approach. Although the proportion of the elder who have a paid job is low and the proportion of the elderly who are self-employed is not high, majority of the seniors continue to work and to participate in various production activities after the age of 60.