Life pressures and the burden of making ends meet are holding back children's dreams.

In large cities, raising a child is a huge expense for families with modest incomes…

A hundred worries

The babbling of toddlers learning to speak, the joyful laughter echoing in a small house... this is the image of happiness that many young couples dream of. However, behind these dreams lie countless worries, revolving around financial matters.

Nowadays, it's not uncommon for young couples, despite loving children, to hesitate, postpone having children, or even give up the idea altogether due to overwhelming financial pressure.

The dream of a happy family, filled with the joyful sounds of children, is weighed down by countless worries of life (Illustrative image).

Rising living costs, unfavorable job prospects, and resulting in uncertainty about the future… Especially in large cities, raising a young child requires enormous expenses for couples with average or low incomes. There are school fees, vaccinations, hospital bills, and daily living expenses… all of these combine to create a difficult problem that not everyone can solve.

They worry whether having children will provide them with a good life. Will their children be at a disadvantage compared to their peers? This insecurity inadvertently becomes a barrier, leading many to choose not to have children or to have only one child in order to invest more in their future.

In fact, the rate of decline in Vietnam's fertility rate is accelerating, especially in recent years. In 2023, the total fertility rate in our country was 1.96 children per woman, further decreasing to 1.91 children per woman in 2024, while in the years 2009-2022 it remained relatively stable around the replacement level.

Broadly speaking, this concern is not limited to Vietnam but is a common reality in many other countries. The sharply declining birth rate is becoming a serious problem, even reaching critical population warning levels in some places, notably Japan and South Korea. Besides the impact of economic instability, differences in population policies among countries also contribute to these negative reactions.

Furthermore, modern women increasingly view family responsibilities as a barrier to their careers. They participate more in the labor market, pursue education, hone their skills, and continuously develop themselves. This trend has led to a wave of later marriages and later childbirths.

More solutions are needed.

To improve this situation, the implementation of special support measures is absolutely essential. First, it is necessary to promote awareness programs and reproductive health screenings. At the same time, strengthen communication about the benefits of early marriage and childbirth, especially the positive impacts on maternal and infant health.

On the other hand, financial support must go hand in hand with long-term solutions. Besides cash subsidies, there is a need for tax reductions and support for living expenses, especially in the early years of a child's life. Simultaneously, implementing preferential loan packages will help young families reduce the financial burden when starting a family and having children.

More importantly, it is necessary to develop social services that support families, such as investing in social housing systems for young couples, expanding the public childcare system, and reducing service costs.

Simultaneously, businesses also need to get involved and create favorable conditions for employees with families through family-friendly policies such as flexible working hours, parental leave, or on-site childcare facilities.

In short, to reassure young people about having children, it's not enough to just encourage it; more importantly, it's necessary to create a truly favorable living environment. Only when the economy is stable and there are sufficient practical support policies can young couples confidently embark on the journey of parenthood.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ap-luc-cuoc-song-ganh-nang-ao-com-niu-buoc-uoc-mo-con-tre-377754.html