Population issues are the responsibility of every household and every individual.

(PLVN) - Population is not just a statistical figure, but a synthesis of human quality, labor force, development resources, and the future of a nation. Therefore, every citizen has a responsibility towards population issues. This responsibility is demonstrated by proactively taking care of reproductive health, adhering to population policies, and not being indifferent to consequences such as gender imbalance at birth, population aging, or the burden on social welfare.

Around 2030, the "golden age" of population will end.

Vietnam is one of the countries with a rapidly aging population, with the number of people aged 60 and over increasing from 11.9% of the total population (in 2019) to 13% (in 2022) and projected to exceed 25% (in 2050). Around 2038, Vietnam will end its "demographic dividend" period and officially enter the aging population phase.

On December 10, 2025, at the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly , the National Assembly approved the Law on Population, which will take effect from July 1, 2026. The law has many outstanding points to maintain appropriate population policies in the new situation.

For example, in order to urgently address the historically low birth rate (1.91 children per woman) and overcome the disparity in birth rates between regions, the Population Law allows couples to decide when and how many children they have. Instead of encouraging each couple to have only one or two children as in the old regulations, the new law empowers them to decide on the timing, number, and spacing of births. This decision is based on the health, income, and specific circumstances of each family.

Women giving birth to their second child are entitled to 7 months of maternity leave (an increase of one month compared to the current rate), while husbands are entitled to 10 days of leave to help care for the family. The Population Department of the Ministry of Health stated that this increase is equivalent to the regional average and has been carefully calculated based on national resources to ensure the best possible health for both mother and baby.

In particular, the crucial policy of the Population Law, which stipulates that "families with two children will be given priority in purchasing or renting social housing," will help couples settle down sooner, reducing their economic burden so they can focus on raising their children. The law provides financial support to women who have two children before the age of 35, those in low-birth-rate areas, or those in ethnic minority regions with very small populations. Specifically, families with two children will be given priority in purchasing or renting social housing.

To minimize gender imbalance, the law strictly prohibits sex selection of fetuses in any form. Individuals who disclose or reveal the sex of a fetus for the purpose of abortion will have their medical practice suspended. Annually, statistical agencies will publish relevant data to enable authorities at all levels to develop appropriate intervention measures.

The law emphasizes the development of human resources for elderly care through policies such as tuition fee waivers and scholarships for geriatrics students, especially in disadvantaged areas. At the same time, the State will have special incentive mechanisms to attract medical personnel to work in this field…

The enactment of the Population Law is expected to contribute to elevating the effectiveness of the 2003 Population Ordinance to a new level, creating a solid legal foundation for national population policy in the new development phase, as Vietnam simultaneously faces low birth rates, rapid population aging, and the need to improve the quality of its human resources.

On December 23, 2025, presiding over a meeting to provide feedback on the draft document "Project to amend and supplement the Program on Adjusting Birth Rates to Suit Different Regions and Target Groups until 2030, ensuring a stable national replacement birth rate" at the Ministry of Health, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen affirmed, "The project clearly demonstrates the shift in the focus of population policy from family planning to population and development, meeting the requirements for developing a strong and prosperous country in the new era."

Include provisions on birth rate regulation in village regulations and customs.

In the new era, population is a top priority. Aiming for the timely, synchronized, unified, and effective implementation of the Population Law nationwide, on January 20, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long signed Decision No. 153/QD-TTg promulgating the Plan for the Implementation of the 2025 Population Law.

The plan specifically defines the work content, progress, completion deadlines, assignment and responsibilities of relevant agencies and organizations in organizing the implementation of the Population Law to ensure timeliness, comprehensiveness, uniformity, synchronization, effectiveness, and efficiency; establishes a mechanism for close coordination between ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities in carrying out activities to implement the Population Law nationwide; and raises awareness and responsibility of all levels, sectors, and the people in the implementation of the Population Law and its detailed regulations.

According to the Population Law, couples have the right to decide when and how many children they will have.
(Illustrative image - Source: People's Daily)

The plan also outlines many specific tasks for the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries, sectors, localities, agencies, and organizations to implement, including requiring the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to develop and submit to the People's Councils at the same level for promulgation legal documents detailing the assigned contents in the Population Law.

In Hanoi, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha signed and issued the Plan for the Implementation of Population and Development Work in Hanoi City in 2026. Accordingly, the city will review, research, develop, and issue appropriate support and intervention policies to encourage young men and women to marry early, couples to have children early and have two children before the age of 35; policies to support women during pregnancy and childbirth; and policies to encourage and reward those who effectively implement population policies...

Hanoi also intensified its propaganda and mobilization activities with diverse, rich, lively, attractive, and persuasive forms, tailored to each locality and target group. In particular, Hanoi organized media events to attract young people, implemented models and clubs to support the introduction of single individuals; models encouraging young people to have two children before the age of 35…; and strengthened the dissemination and provision of information on state laws regarding maintaining the replacement fertility rate, especially the rights and obligations of each individual and couple in having children according to Article 13 of the Population Law (each couple and individual has the right to decide on the timing of childbirth, the number of children, and the spacing between births in accordance with age, health status, educational conditions, work, income, and child-rearing capabilities of the couple and individual on an equal basis).

According to the Plan for the Implementation of Population and Development Work in Hanoi City in 2026, the city will focus on leading and directing the implementation of measures to maintain the replacement fertility rate as a key content in the leadership and direction of the government at all levels; and incorporate the content on adjusting the fertility rate into the village and neighborhood regulations and conventions.

Vietnam's population is projected to surpass 102 million by 2025, boasting a young demographic structure and a large workforce. (Source: Vietnam News)

According to the Hanoi People's Committee, the plan aims to maintain a stable replacement fertility rate, encourage couples and individuals to have children, and ideally two children; minimize gender imbalance at birth; improve the quality of the population, contributing to the improvement of human resource quality; promote healthcare for the elderly, and adapt to population aging…

It can be said that when each individual understands that their decisions today will affect the community tomorrow, population will no longer be a "problem" solely for the State, but will become a shared responsibility of the entire society. Only when each citizen acts responsibly will population truly become a resource for the sustainable development of the country.

The codification of the legal system related to the Population Law will take place before April 1, 2026.

According to Decision No. 153/QD-TTg promulgating the Plan for the Implementation of the 2025 Population Law, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long on January 20, 2026, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with relevant ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government agencies, within its functions and duties, shall codify the system of legal regulations and documents related to the Population Law under its assigned state management authority before April 1, 2026.

In 2026 and subsequent years, the Ministry of Health, other Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government agencies within their respective functions and duties; the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities; and relevant agencies and organizations shall organize inspections of the implementation of the Population Law and other legal documents detailing and guiding its implementation.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/van-de-dan-so-la-trach-nhiem-cua-moi-nha-moi-nguoi.html