Draft Population Law: Studying comprehensive measures to achieve sustainable replacement fertility

Population is the most important factor in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Our Party and State have determined to shift the focus of population policy from family planning to population and development. In that context, some National Assembly deputies suggested that the draft Population Law should study comprehensive, fundamental and comprehensive measures to achieve a sustainable replacement fertility rate.

It is necessary to ensure that people have a minimum wage enough to raise children.

Resolution 21-NQ/TW of the Party Central Committee in 2017 on population work in the new situation sets the goals of firmly maintaining the replacement fertility rate by 2030; reducing the fertility gap between rural and urban areas, mountainous and delta areas; reducing gender imbalance at birth; and improving population quality.

National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Anh Tri ( Hanoi ) said that Vietnam's current replacement fertility rate (TFR) is 2.06. Meanwhile, the international general replacement fertility rate is 2.1. Studies show that when the TFR drops to 1.98, the ability to revive the fertility rate is extremely difficult. Therefore, the draft Population Law is an important basis to prevent this decline in fertility.

From the experience of some developed countries in the world , National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Thien Nhan (Ho Chi Minh City) said that the reason for the low birth rate in some countries is that the income of a family of 2 people is not enough to raise two children. If the income of two people is not enough to raise 2 children, they will not have 2 children. Thus, each working person must have a minimum salary enough to support themselves and one child, then two working people can raise two children.

National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan ( Ho Chi Minh City) speaks at the discussion session on the afternoon of October 23, 2025. Photo: Quang Khanh

"This is the most important economic lever. If this is not guaranteed, all other policies will only have the effect of encouragement and support, but will not solve the problem," delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan emphasized.

With such a way of posing the issue, the delegate suggested that ensuring a minimum wage for a working person to be able to support themselves and a child is the most direct and important condition to maintain the replacement fertility rate. The draft Law should stipulate a policy to maintain the replacement fertility rate, in which, every year, the State needs to announce the minimum wage for workers to be able to support themselves and a child.

Noting that currently, in Ho Chi Minh City, the minimum wage of 4.96 million VND/month can only support the worker but not the child, delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan suggested that it is necessary to change from " the minimum wage that is only enough to support the worker to the minimum wage that is enough to support the worker and one child" and have a suitable implementation roadmap.

At the same time, according to the delegate, there should be regulations on the obligations of employers in population work. Accordingly, employers are obliged to ensure that the minimum wage of employees at their unit is enough to support themselves and a child according to state policy; and are obliged to ensure that the working environment is not too harsh or stressful to create conditions for employees to take care of their families and children.

Delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan also noted that the solutions to encourage and support the maintenance of replacement fertility must be synchronous: from education, communication, economy, health, housing, gender equality, emulation... It is necessary to integrate the goals and solutions in population work into the strategies, plans, and socio-economic development programs of each sector, each locality and the whole country. It is necessary to promote education on citizens' responsibility towards the country in population work; education on patriotism, awareness of having children for the country's sustainable development, and at the same time strengthen gender equality education in society.

More practical support policies are needed.

“Many women, after maternity leave and returning to work, do not have a place to leave their children. This is one of the reasons why they wonder whether to have more children or not.” Given this reality, delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan also suggested that it is necessary to develop a preschool education system that takes care of children from 6 months old. Currently, our State has a policy of universalizing preschool education for children from 3 to 5 years old; it is necessary to move towards universalizing preschool education for children from 6 months old.

National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Minh Hoang (Ho Chi Minh City) said that the child support policy should ensure fairness among policy beneficiaries, specifically between female workers in the formal sector and female workers in the informal sector.

“If we regulate maternity leave for those in the formal sector, it will be very difficult for informal workers. We should replace it with a policy to support women giving birth, regardless of whether they are workers in the formal or informal sector. We can study policies to support women after giving birth, policies to subsidize childcare, support tuition fees, food costs at kindergartens…”, the delegate suggested.

During the recent discussion session in the Group, the National Assembly Deputies also suggested that there should be more policies to encourage and support people who get married and have children. These policies include policies on developing social housing, creating a family- and child-friendly social environment; recognizing and encouraging families with two or more children, etc.

In addition, National Assembly delegates also suggested that the State should have appropriate and practical support and incentive policies; and should further study subsidy policies for families with many children.

For example, in France there are many large families, at least three children, because large families receive many subsidies from the State, from public transport fare support to tax policies, social security... all reduced and people calculate that having three children is more beneficial than having only one or two children.

If the State has many subsidy policies for families with many children, some delegates believe that people will feel "lighter" and more comfortable in giving birth and raising their children to adulthood.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/du-thao-luat-dan-so-nghien-cuu-cac-bien-phap-tong-the-nham-dat-duoc-muc-sinh-thay-the-ben-vung-10392944.html