Efforts to improve birth rates

Vietnam is facing numerous challenges regarding its population development, with one of the fastest aging rates in the world, a sharp decline in birth rates, and a gender imbalance at birth. This is an alarming situation that, if prolonged, will put significant pressure on the social security system and labor force.

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According to the Ministry of Health 's five-year preliminary report (2020-2025), Vietnam's fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level, decreasing from 2.11 children per woman (in 2021) to 1.91 children per woman (in 2024).

According to Mai Trung Son, Deputy Director of the Population and Family Planning Department (Population Bureau, Ministry of Health): Many young people today have a different view of marriage than before. They focus on their careers, waiting for economic stability before considering marriage and having children. Even if they do have children, they have few, or even no children at all due to financial pressure, so the birth rate is gradually decreasing and accelerating the aging of the population.

Ms. Vu Minh Hang (Hong Ha Ward, Hanoi ), 34 years old, has a stable job in the media industry and a relatively good income. Explaining why she doesn't want to get married yet, she said: "My boyfriend and I don't own a house in Hanoi; we have to rent, and our income is only enough to live on. If we get married and have children now, we'll face a heavy financial burden and life pressures. Therefore, I feel more comfortable being alone, and we can think about it later when we have more money."

For young people with low and middle incomes, financial pressure is a major issue in life, leading them to choose to have fewer children. Mr. LVM (Dong Anh commune, Hanoi) works as a factory worker in an industrial zone. He and his wife are both unskilled laborers and have one daughter. Regarding his choice to have only one child, he said: "Sometimes I want to have more children, but my wife and I only earn enough to live on. If we have another child and can't provide for her properly, I'd rather not have any at all."

Besides the low birth rate, the gender imbalance in Vietnam is also a cause for concern. Currently, the sex ratio at birth in Vietnam remains at approximately 112 boys per 100 girls, much higher than the natural balance of 104/106. Experts warn that if this imbalance is not improved soon, by 2034 Vietnam could have an excess of people of marriageable age, and this number could increase to 1.8 million by 2059.

According to Deputy Director of the Population Department Pham Vu Hoang, outdated beliefs about valuing sons over daughters still persist in our country, and the idea that a family must have a son to carry on the family line... This is one of the reasons why the sex ratio at birth has been difficult to bring down to a safe level for many years.

In response to the above situation, the Government and various sectors and levels have strongly implemented many solutions to encourage people to have enough children, increase the average total fertility rate, and aim for stable and sustainable population development. Among these, the 2025 Population Law, passed by the National Assembly and effective from July 1, 2026, is considered a significant turning point, reflecting a strong shift from a "family planning" mindset to one focused on "population and development." The new provisions of the 2025 Population Law will contribute to overcoming current difficulties and challenges such as:

Adjusting maternity leave duration for the second child; providing financial support to certain groups and localities with low birth rates; prioritizing access to social housing for families with two children as stipulated by law; increasing penalties for medical professionals disclosing the sex of their child at birth…

Furthermore, in implementing Decision No. 291/QD-TTg dated February 13, 2026, of the Prime Minister approving the Program to Ensure Replacement Fertility Rate Nationwide until 2030, the Ministry of Health recently issued Decision 1069/QD-BYT, requiring an average annual increase in the total fertility rate of 2% nationwide. This is a significant shift in population policy, moving from the previous focus on reducing birth rates to encouraging sufficient birth rates in the new context.

In terms of effectiveness, in recent times, many provinces and cities with low birth rates have implemented solutions to improve them and have achieved positive results, such as Dong Nai, Can Tho, Hue, Hai Phong, Hanoi, etc.

One of the key solutions proposed by localities is to strengthen communication to change behavior, widely disseminate population policies and guidelines, emphasizing the benefits of marrying at the right time, avoiding late marriages, not having children too late, and not having too few children.

Communication content is tailored to specific target groups such as youth, workers, and immigrants; combining diverse formats and leveraging social media and digital technology...

Regarding support policies, localities are focusing on encouraging couples and women to have two children before the age of 35, with support ranging from 1 to 5 million VND. In addition, several other policies are being implemented, such as supporting pre-marital health check-up costs; partially supporting infertility treatment costs for disadvantaged individuals; building a child-rearing support ecosystem: developing a system of nurseries and childcare centers, especially in industrial zones and export processing zones; and providing childcare services.

THUY QUYNH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/no-luc-cai-thien-muc-sinh-post961347.html