OBJECTIVES Nowadays, health care costs of asthma are under pressure in all countries due to high prevalence, incidence and the chronic nature of disease. Estimating the economic burden of asthma from patients’ perspective is necessary not only to understand the value and structure, but also the economic influence of asthma to whole society to propose and implement the relevant medical. This is also the aim of this study. METHODS A tree-decision model has been developed to estimate the value and structure of the economic burden of asthma in Vietnam. The economic burden of asthma has been evaluated based on cost of asthma, including direct and indirect costs.  A cohort of 227 asthma patients was selected to be surveyed to identify the direct costs, including costs for drugs and medical services, and indirect costs, including loss productivity, loss of work, cost for accommodation and transportation due to treatment and other costs of patient and caregivers. RESULTS Annual total cost per patient with asthma accounts for 6,618,682 VND, from which  direct costs are 2.5 times more than indirect cost (4,738,682 vs 1,880,000 VND). The total cost of asthma has increased following the asthma severity with 4,960,278; 8,098,156; 10,759,234; 13,196,280 VND in mild, intermittent, moderate and severe asthma rate. In the structure of total cost, following the asthma severity, the percentage of direct costs increases and indirect costs decreases especially in the mild rate. Total economic burden of asthma was 23,165 billion VND, from which 71.5% (16,585 billion VND) are for direct costs and  29.5% (6,580 billion VND) for indirect cost. CONCLUSIONS The economic impact of asthma (23,165 billion VND) on asthmatic patients, families and society is significant. According to the study, putting more public health efforts to better control asthma is the first necessary step to reduce the costs of asthma.