According to Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, Vietnam has seen a trend of declining birth rates. In 2023, the estimated birth rate was 1.96 children per woman, the lowest in history, and is projected to continue decreasing.
On December 10th, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Hanoi People's Committee, organized the launching ceremony for the National Action Month on Population and the commemoration of Vietnam Population Day (December 26th) with the theme "Improving the quality of the population for a prosperous country and happy families".
According to Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, population work is facing many difficulties and challenges. Many emerging population issues have directly impacted the lives, society, and sustainable development of Vietnam.
Specifically, maintaining the replacement fertility rate nationwide has not been truly sustainable, with a trend towards lower fertility rates. In 2023, the estimated fertility rate was 1.96 children per woman, the lowest in history, and is projected to continue declining in the following years.
The sex ratio at birth has been brought under control, but it remains high and shows no signs of decreasing (in 2023, this figure was 112 boys/100 girls).
Vietnam's population is aging rapidly, and it will soon move beyond its demographic dividend. Issues such as child marriage, consanguineous marriage, underage pregnancies and births, physical stature, health, and quality of life need significant improvement. Meanwhile, the current organizational structure for population work is unstable, lacking uniformity across provinces and cities, and the resources invested in population work are not commensurate with the requirements and tasks assigned.
"Entering 2025 and the years to come, we will continue to face even more difficulties and challenges, and many targets are at risk of not being achieved," Deputy Minister Thuan said.
Also at the ceremony, Mr. Matt Jackson, Head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, added that results from research conducted by the General Statistics Office in collaboration with UNFPA show that Vietnam is still in the "golden population" phase, meaning that each dependent is supported by two working-age adults.
However, Vietnam's population began aging in 2011 and is aging at a much faster rate than other countries.
It is projected that Vietnam will become an aging society by 2036 and a super-aging society by 2049. Simultaneously, Vietnam is also entering a trend of low fertility rates, with a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.96 in 2023.
The transition from a young to an aging society has far-reaching implications, and Vietnam needs to start preparing for these demographic changes now.
Solutions include increasing labor productivity combined with sustainable job creation policies, as well as increasing labor participation rates, especially for the elderly population, supporting women to maintain participation in the labor market, and investing in health and education .
At the ceremony, the organizers also released five messages for the national action month on population, which were selected by the organizing committee:
- A high-quality population is the driving force for Vietnam's development;
- Pre-marital health check-ups prepare for welcoming a new generation.
- Maintaining a reasonable birth rate, a balanced population, and a sustainable future;
- Having two children is a sign of wise parents, and their children will benefit from it.
- Gender equality is the foundation for controlling the sex ratio at birth.
Source: https://giadinhonline.vn/muc-sinh-cua-viet-nam-dang-thap-nhat-trong-lich-su-khuyen-khich-cac-gia-dinh-sinh-du-2-con-d203377.html
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