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Vietnam has scrapped a longstanding policy limiting families to two children, as the communist-run country grapples with a declining birthrate.
State media announced on Wednesday that couples could make their own decisions about how many children to have, and how much time to wait between births, reversing a decades-old preference for one- or two-child families.
The promotion of two-child families dates back to the 1960s in communist North Vietnam, though this policy was further developed in the reunified Vietnam in the 1980s and 1990s, including through the country’s first decree on family planning in 1988. The two-child policy was not universally enforced, though members of the Communist party could face sanctions.
Authorities are now searching for ways to boost families, as Vietnam’s birthrate fell to a record low of 1.91 children per woman in 2024, which is below replacement level.
Officials fear the trend could lead to an ageing society, creating labour shortages, putting pressure on social welfare systems and threatening the country’s economic growth plans.
Birthrates are especially low in urban centres, such as Ho Chi Minh City, where the rising cost of living was identified as barrier for young families. Its birthrate fell to 1.32 in 2023.
Local provinces are offering various rewards and subsidies to encourage couples to have children. This includes certificates of merit and a financial reward of about 1m dong (£28) for women who have two children before the age of 35. Some provinces, such as Tien Giang in southern Vietnam, were also giving 30m dong to communes and wards in which 60% of couples of childbearing age had two children across three consecutive years, state media reported. Birthrates in the province are still falling, however.
The national birthrate of 1.91 children per woman recorded in 2024 was down from 2.11 children per woman in 2021, 2.01 in 2022 and 1.96 in 2023. Neighbouring countries, such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, have similar trends.
In Japan, the government released figures on Wednesday showing the number of births in 2024 had fallen below 700,000 for the first time on record.
Vietnam appeared to relax its two-child policy in 2003, but this was reversed in 2008.
Vietnam is also trying to tackle an imbalance in its sex ratio, driven by a historical preference for boys. On Tuesday the ministry of health proposed tripling a current fine to $3,800 “to curb foetal gender selection”, according to state media.
The gender ratio at birth, though improved, remains skewed at 112 boys for every 100 girls.
China ended its strict “one-child policy” in 2016 and in 2021 permitted couples to have three children, though its population fell for the third year running in 2024.
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AFP contributed to this report.
