Fundamental solutions to address population aging.

Given the reality of an aging population, the new Population Law is expected to be a strategic lever to address the issues of social security and sustainable development resources.

The average life expectancy of people in Hai Phong has increased significantly, but the number of years lived in good health has not kept pace.

Challenges of a developing city

In recent years, the trend of marrying later, reluctance to have children, and increasing financial pressure from raising children have led to a significant decline in birth rates in many localities in Hai Phong. Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (Ngo Quyen ward) stated that, in reality, the number of young families with only one child is increasing in many neighborhoods. People are worried about the burden of providing for their families, and the pressure of work in industrial zones makes balancing career and family life difficult. If low birth rates persist, the consequence will be a shortage of local labor, while the number of elderly people needing care will increase rapidly, putting significant pressure on the social security system.

Article 13 of the 2025 Population Law clearly affirms the right of individuals and couples to self-determine the number of children, the timing of births, and the spacing between births.

On December 10, 2025, the 15th National Assembly passed Law No. 113/2025/QH15 on Population, which officially came into effect on July 1, 2026. This is a significant legal milestone, fundamentally shifting the thinking from "birth control" to "population and development." The fundamental change in the Law lies in respecting human rights in the field of population. Article 13 clearly affirms the right of individuals and couples to self-determine the number of children, the timing of births, and the spacing between births. This is a timely adjustment.

Respecting the right to self-determination is a prerequisite for families to proactively plan based on their health conditions, financial capabilities, and child-rearing environment, thereby contributing to maintaining a sustainable replacement fertility rate instead of imposing unrealistic quantitative targets.

To address the reluctance to have children due to economic and work pressures, the 2026 Population Law introduces practical social welfare policies to alleviate the burden on young families. Notably, it includes provisions on maternity leave, entitling female workers in the formal sector who give birth to a second child to up to seven months of maternity leave. In addition, the law creates a legal framework for localities to prioritize support in accessing social housing for couples who have two children.

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The 2025 Population Law creates a legal framework for localities to prioritize supporting access to social housing for couples who have had two children.

In Hai Phong, the density of workers in industrial zones such as VSIP and Trang Due is very high, and these provisions are expected to address a major "bottleneck" for workers.

Lawyer Dao Van Bay (Hai Phong Bar Association) analyzed: “The law has concretized the responsibilities of management agencies in creating conditions for couples to have two children. This is a powerful economic tool, directly impacting the psychology and living conditions of the people. However, its effectiveness still depends on how Hai Phong concretizes these policies into the city's social housing program to ensure transparency.”

Adapting to aging, shifting to a holistic care model.

According to reports from the health sector, the average life expectancy of people in Hai Phong has increased significantly, reaching approximately 75.6 years. However, the number of years lived in good health has not increased proportionally due to the burden of disease, especially non-communicable diseases. This indicates that there is still a gap between life expectancy and quality of life. Given the rapid aging of the population, this is not just a problem for the health sector alone, but requires the coordinated efforts of many sectors and fields.

To address the challenge of an aging population, the 2026 Population Law focuses heavily on building a comprehensive care system. Instead of solely concentrating on traditional financial security, the new law strongly promotes community- and family-based models of elderly care. The provision for professional training of elderly care workers is a significant step towards professionalizing elderly care services.

This provides the legal basis for the city to invest in geriatric healthcare and community-based models. In Hai Phong, leveraging the existing primary healthcare network to implement provisions on primary healthcare helps the elderly not only increase their life expectancy but also increase the number of years they live in good health. This reduces the burden on the hospital system and provides a better quality of life for the elderly.

The Population Law, effective from July 1, 2026, is a fundamental solution for Vietnam in general and Hai Phong in particular to address population challenges.

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Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, President of the Hai Phong Lawyers Association, believes that the synchronization among management agencies in building the population database, the strict enforcement of the law in healthcare management, and the consensus of the people are key to Hai Phong's continued sustainable development. During this transitional period, implementing the Population Law is not only the responsibility of the health sector but requires the involvement of the entire political system, from industrial zones to individual neighborhoods, ensuring that all citizens benefit from the most humane and practical social welfare policies. This is the foundation for Hai Phong to build a prosperous, happy, and sustainable society in the context of rapidly changing demographics.

The Population Law, effective from July 1, 2026, is expected to be a crucial solution to help Vietnam in general and Hai Phong in particular effectively address population challenges. For the law's provisions to be implemented effectively, the participation of the entire society is needed, from state management agencies and businesses to each family. When social security policies are guaranteed, people's self-determination is respected, and the quality of life is improved, population aging will not only be a challenge but can also become a driving force for development.

THU HANG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/giai-phap-can-co-doi-pho-gia-hoa-dan-so-546065.html