Vietnam has abandoned its decades-old two-child policy in an effort to address its declining birth rate and aging population.
State media reports that the country’s National Assembly has approved an amendment that removes the limit on the number of children a family can have.
Vietnam is experiencing a decline in childbirths, with the birth rate falling to 1.91 children per woman in 2024, according to state media. This trend is particularly pronounced in urban centers like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where the cost of living is higher.
The Guardian reports that Vietnam’s two-child policy was initially introduced in the 1960s in Northern Vietnam to curb overpopulation.
Following the reunification of North and South Vietnam, the two-child policy was promoted nationwide to prevent overpopulation and foster a “golden population.”
The policy was officially formalized as a national policy in 1993 with the aim of controlling population growth.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the proportion of citizens under the age of 15 has significantly decreased from 43% to less than 25% of the total population.
The UNFPA study also indicates that the population of citizens aged 15 to 64 years has increased from 53% to 69%.
A study by Macrotrends.com reveals that birth rates steadily declined until 2003, followed by a period of increase until 2013, after which they began to fall again.
State media reports that Vietnam’s “golden population” period began in 2007 and is projected to last until between 2038 and 2040.
Currently, Vietnam’s population is estimated to be over 101 million, making it the 16th most populous country in the world and the third largest in Southeast Asia.
The Ministry of Health has identified gender-selective births as a contributing factor to the gender imbalance in Vietnam. The ratio of male to female births has widened from 103 boys per 100 girls in 2006 to 111 boys per 100 girls in 2024.
To combat this, the ministry has proposed increasing the fine for sex-selective abortions from 30 million to 100 million Vietnamese dong — approximately $1,150 to $4,000.
The Associated Press reports that China implemented a one-child policy in 1979 due to concerns about overpopulation.
Faced with increasing concerns about an aging population, China has gradually relaxed the policy, allowing a second child and then a third child in 2021, but with limited success in boosting birth rates.