Vietnam is relaxing its two-child policy to tackle the sharp decline in birth rate amid concerns for the ageing population.
The health ministry is reportedly considering allowing couples to decide the number and timing of their children after the country’s birth rate plunged into one of the lowest in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam’s birth rate hit a record low in 2024 with the total fertility rate dropping to just 1.91 children per woman, according to the government data. Experts claim the birth rate was below the level needed to keep the population stable to avoid potential labour shortages and socio-economic challenges due to the ageing population.
The country has also been struggling with disparities in birth rates, with some areas reporting lower numbers than others. Ho Chi Minh City recorded the lowest rate in Vietnam at 1.39 children per woman, whereas the northern Ha Giang province had the highest numbers at 2.69.
Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, the deputy health minister, emphasised that the government must act fast to prevent a population decline. “We need to encourage larger families by reducing penalties for having more than two children and offering financial support,” she said, according to Vietnamnet Global.
Vietnam’s birth rate remained stable from 1999 to 2022 at around 2.1, but declined in 2023 and the subsequent year. The birth rate is projected to continue declining, which would mark the end of its golden population period by 2039, according to reports.
The two-child policy was initially imposed in the 1960s to manage the baby boom in the poor and rural population. The rule was scrapped in 2003, before being reimposed in 2008.
Vietnam is among several Asian countries to have reported a steady decline in birth rate due to rising cost of living, economic uncertainty and a cultural shift towards prioritising quality of life.
In countries like South Korea, which has one of the lowest birth rates in Asia, women have cited the heavy emotional and physical burden of raising a child mostly by themselves, financial crisis and lost career opportunities as reasons to set a trend of not giving birth.
Japan last year recorded its lowest number of births in 125 years, falling ninth straight year despite the government’s efforts to reverse the decline. Japan recorded 720,988 births in 2024, five per cent down from the previous year, the health ministry announced in February.
Similarly, China witnessed a record 20 per cent plunge in marriages last year, marking the steepest decline ever recorded despite government initiatives to encourage couples to marry and have children.
