Shifting Family Structure: Vietnam Relaxes Birth Restrictions
Vietnam scraps two-child policy, embracing one-child limit instead
Are the times changing in Vietnam? The Communist country is stepping up its game, relaxing its previously held two-child policy and allowing couples to decide on the number of kids they want. Why? To tackle a plunging birth rate, an ageing population, and a never-ending shortage of labor. But, with rising living costs, will it be a smooth ride?
Let's take a closer look.
Here's the lowdown:
According to the Vietnam News Agency, the birth rate in the country has been declining since 2013, particularly in economically developed regions like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The birth rate has dropped significantly in the past four years and fell to 1.91 children per woman in 2024. Despite political adjustments and public campaigns, it's becoming increasingly difficult to persuade families to have more children.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Vietnam is now ready to abandon its two-child policy, signifying a remarkable shift in family and social policies.
The government faces another social challenge: a gender imbalance. Historically, there's a preference for boys over girls, leading to illegal gender-based abortions and revealing the child's gender before birth. To curb this, clinics that violate this law face steep fines. To make an example, the Ministry of Health is discussing tripling the penalty to $3,800 (around €3,340).
Politics and Citizens' Rights
The end of the two-child policy isn't a novelty in Vietnam. The country witnessed a population boom post the Vietnam War (1975), with numbers skyrocketing from around 46 million to over 100 million by 2025. The two-child policy was initially introduced in 1963 when North Vietnam began promoting it due to rapid population growth – mostly among the poor and rural area's populace.
Other Asian countries face the same challenge of declining birth rates. For instance, China, the world's second-largest economy, introduced a rule to raise the retirement age at the beginning of the year due to its worsening demographic issue. Official reports state that men will eventually retire at 63, instead of 60, over the next 15 years.
Fast forward to 2021, and despite the end of the one-child policy nine years back, women still have an average of around 1.1 children. Economic conditions in cities make it difficult for families to have more than one child, due to high education costs.
Policy Highlights
- The National Assembly has amended the Population Ordinance, removing restrictions on the number of children per family.
- The Ministry of Health is finalizing the draft of Vietnam's first-ever Population Law, which focuses on addressing demographic challenges through modern legislation.
Implications of the Change
The changes will affect various sectors, such as healthcare, education, and consumer goods, as the population ages, and the demand for geriatric services increases. The policy shift may also influence labor dynamics and urban development strategies.
Welcoming a new era of demographic change, Vietnam is taking bold steps to adapt to the challenges presented by its demographic profile. But, it's not just a population issue; the changes also reflect a broader commitment to human rights and personal freedom.
Sources: ntv.de, jwu/dpa/AFP
- Vietnam
- Social Policy
- Human Rights
- Declining Population
- Urban Development
- The revised community policy in Vietnam, which eliminates the two-child policy, aligns the country with other Asian nations like China that are also addressing declining birth rates.
- With the emphasis on science and health-and-wellness, the new employment policy in Vietnam, which focuses on the first-ever Population Law, aims to tackle demographic challenges and improve the quality of life for its aging population.
