Vietnam Here, Left's Have More Kiddos!
Vietnam abolishes two-child restriction due to decreasing birth rate.
Backtracking its once-strict limit on family size, Vietnam’s communist government has given couples the freedom to decide on their family's size, as the nation grapples with a record-breaking drop in births[1][2]. The country's birth control policy, enforced since 1988, has now transformed into a personal preference, as per the Vietnam News Agency[3].
In the past three years, Vietnam has seen a steep fall in birth rates, with the total fertility rate plunging to 1.91 children per woman in 2024, below the replacement level, as revealed by the Ministry of Health[4]. Despite the initial intention to curb population growth, the policy has failed to stem the tide of the falling birth rates[1][3].
Data indicates that the birth rate has slumped from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 2.01 in 2022 and 1.96 in 2023[1][4][5]. This trend is strikingly prominent in developed urban areas like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where the soaring cost of living acts as a significant deterrent for young families[1][5].
To combat the challenges of an aging population and workforce shortages brought on by the declining birth rate[1][4], Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong highlighted the necessity for societal mindset shift, moving from a narrow family-planning focus to a broader perspective centered on population and development[3].
In her address at a conference earlier this year, she emphasized the increasing difficulties in inspiring families to expand their brood, despite efforts like policy modifications and public campaigns[3]. Yet, doubts linger about the efficacy of this policy shift in reversing the declining birth rate, given that economic hurdles continue to impact family decisions[4][5].
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Sources
- 当拉普加骑士卢萨伽果 Dialogo Asia
- DW - Vietnam's Scrapped Two-Child Policy: What's Next?
- Vietnam News Agency
- The Guardian - Vietnam's Government Scraps Two-Child Policy as Birth Rates Decline
- UNFPA - Vietnam's Ageing Population: Challenges and Opportunities
The abandoned two-child policy in Vietnam has opened a conversation about health-and-wellness and personal preference, as the nation faces the challenge of declining birth rates. Economics and politics play a significant role in shaping family size decisions, as policy-and-legislation adjustments attempt to address an aging population and workforce shortages. In the midst of this, it's important to consider general-news stories like the cost of living and its impact on families in urban areas, as well as the ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of the policy shift to reverse the trend.
