Vietnam's birth rate drops to lowest in history

(CPV) - Vietnam's total national fertility rate in 2023 is 1.96 children/woman, the lowest level ever and is forecast to continue to decrease in the following years, leading to consequences such as labor shortage, rapid population aging and population decline...

Delegates, experts and managers gave policy advice at the Policy Consultation Workshop on Maintaining Replacement Fertility Rate chaired by the Department of Population, in coordination with the United Nations Population Fund, held on December 11 in Hanoi .

Nearly 200 delegates attended the Workshop to consult on policies to maintain replacement fertility.

Mr. Le Thanh Dung, Director of the Department of Population, Ministry of Health, said that in recent times, Vietnam's population work has achieved encouraging results, especially in successfully controlling the rapid population growth rate, making positive contributions to the country's socio-economic development and construction. Vietnam officially reached the replacement fertility level in 2006 when the total fertility rate (TFR) = 2.09 children/woman and has been very successful in maintaining the fertility level around the replacement fertility level throughout the past time.

However, in addition to the advantages and opportunities that the achievements in fertility reduction in recent times have brought, Vietnam is facing new challenges: maintaining a stable replacement fertility rate nationwide is not really sustainable, the fertility rate varies significantly between regions and subjects, and there is a trend of low fertility. The national fertility rate is tending to decrease below the replacement fertility rate, the total fertility rate in 2023 is 1.96 children/woman, the lowest level ever and is forecast to continue to decrease in the following years (while the ideal replacement fertility rate is 2.1 children/woman). The trend of low and very low fertility is concentrated in some urban areas, where socio -economic conditions are developed; by socio-economic region. According to the General Statistics Office, in 2023, 27/63 provinces and cities will have a birth rate of less than 2.1 children/woman, most of which are provinces located in the key economic region of the South, with high urbanization and rapid economic growth. If the birth rate continues to decrease and persist, it will directly and deeply affect the population size and structure and leave many consequences such as labor shortage, rapid population aging and population decline... greatly affecting the sustainable development of the country.

Mr. Le Thanh Dung, Director of the Department of Population, Ministry of Health, spoke at the Workshop.

The Party and State of Vietnam always pay attention to population work and have adjusted policies to suit the context and actual situation; have issued many policies and guidelines on population, improving population quality, assigned the Ministry of Health to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to "Research and develop a comprehensive policy framework on population, ensuring a replacement birth rate suitable for regions, areas, population groups and population quantity and quality" to submit to the National Assembly.

At the workshop, domestic and international delegates focused on discussing the contents of the overall population policy framework, ensuring a replacement birth rate appropriate to regions, areas, population groups, and population quantity and quality. From the experience of many countries in the world, propose suitable and feasible solutions to ensure replacement birth rates as well as improve the quality of Vietnam's population in the coming time such as: needing policies such as maternity allowances, monthly allowances for mothers raising children under 3 years old; increasing maternity leave; expanding childcare services; increasing financial support for families with young children; supporting women with education and employment; tuition exemptions for each group of children.../.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/xa-hoi/muc-sinh-tai-viet-nam-giam-thap-nhat-trong-lich-su-686234.html