Vietnam scraps its two-child policy. The government made this change due to concerns about the country’s low birth rate.
The policy was in place since 1988. Now, families can decide how many children they want.
Vietnam’s health ministry says the birth rate has been going down for the past three years. In 2024, the rate was 1.91 children per woman. This is lower than the replacement rate of 2.1.
This trend is more common in cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. People there face high living costs.
Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, a deputy health minister, says the government is finding it hard to encourage people to have more children. The low birth rate is a challenge for the country’s economic and social development.
Vietnam also faces a sex imbalance problem. The traditional preference for sons over daughters has led to a skewed sex ratio. The health ministry has proposed increasing fines for sex selection to $3,800.
China also used to have a one-child policy. It was scrapped in 2016, and families can now have up to three children. However, high living costs are still affecting birth rates. In 2024, China’s population declined for the third year in a row.
(Source: Channel News Asia)