Policy consultation, solutions to prevent low birth rate trend

Speaking at the workshop, MSc. Dr. Le Thanh Dung, Director of the Department of Population, said that in recent times, Vietnam has achieved many achievements in population work, in which the population growth rate has been successfully controlled, reaching the replacement fertility rate since 2006 and continuing to maintain around the replacement fertility rate. Our country has entered the golden population structure period since 2007, which has contributed positively to Vietnam's socio -economic development in nearly 40 years of renovation.

However, according to Mr. Le Thanh Dung, the birth rate in our country is tending to decrease below the replacement level, from 2.11 children/woman (2021) to 2.01 children/woman (2022) and 1.96 children/woman in 2023. This is considered the lowest decrease in history and is forecast to continue to decrease in the following years.

Overview of the Workshop

Currently, according to the report of the Population Department, the birth rate has a significant difference between regions. In addition to 33 provinces with high birth rates, there are currently 21 provinces/cities with low birth rates, mainly concentrated in the Southeast region, the Mekong Delta, and some provinces with very low birth rates. The low birth rate provinces have a population of 37.9 million people, accounting for about 39.4% of the country's population, which will have a great impact on Vietnam's sustainable development.

Notably, in the context of continued economic growth, increasingly rapid urbanization, and increasingly deep and broad international integration, the trend of low fertility will become more widespread. Low and prolonged population growth will directly and deeply affect population size and structure, leaving many consequences such as labor shortage, rapid population aging and population decline, which will greatly affect the country's sustainable development.

Not only in Vietnam, the trend of declining fertility has been happening in the world . According to the United Nations' World Population Prospects 2024 Report, women today give birth to an average of 1 child less than in 1990. Currently, the global fertility rate is 2.3 children/woman, down from 3.3 children/woman in 1990. More than half of countries and regions worldwide have a total fertility rate below the replacement level (below 2.1 children/woman); while the replacement level is the level needed to maintain the same size over a long period of time without migration.

At the workshop, Permanent Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen emphasized the viewpoint of Resolution 21-NQ/TW, the 6th Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee, that is: Population is the most important factor in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Population work is a strategic task, both urgent and long-term; it is the cause of the entire Party and the entire people; continue to shift the focus of population policy from family planning to Population and Development.

Therefore, to help achieve the goal of maintaining a stable replacement fertility rate nationwide as well as effectively implementing population work in the new situation, Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen requested the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to continue to effectively implement the Party and State's policies and solutions on population work, especially the solution to maintain a stable replacement fertility rate nationwide according to the Program on adjusting fertility rates to suit regions and subjects by 2030 approved by the Prime Minister.

Ha Yen

*Department of Family, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Source: https://toquoc.vn/tham-van-chinh-sach-giai-phap-ngan-chan-xu-huong-muc-sinh-thap-20240904094158179.htm