Vietnam’s Total Fertility Rate Still Declines, not Meeting 2023’s Target: MoH

Vietnam’s total fertility rate in 2023 is likely to have been 1.95 children per woman, which decreased from 2.01 children/woman in 2022 and not meeting the year’s plan at 2.1, according to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, under the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Mr. Mai Trung Son, a representative of the Genera Office for Population and Family Planning, informed that the fertility reduction rate in Vietnam is currently faster than the world as the fertility rate is below 1.7 in urban areas and 2.1 in rural areas. Notably, the fertility rate declined to 1.5 children/woman in the Southeast and Mekong Delta regions, he said.

The official also explained that low fertility would directly affect human resources, especially young workers, while creating an aging and super-aging society with long-term effects on socio-economic development.

To handle such challenges, Mr. Son suggested abolishing policies that encourage reduced fertility, providing marriage and family services, supporting women during pregnancy and childbirth, and others.

According to another prediction by the General Statistics Office (GSO), Vietnam will face a negative population growth rate in the next 35 years if the country is under a low birth rate. Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) forecasts that Vietnam will have 3.6 million people in 2500, equivalent to the current population of central Nghe An province, and only tens of thousands of people by 2700. (VietnamNet)