Vietnam approves law to end two-child policy as it tries to reverse plummeting birth rate

Vietnam is changing its population law to remove the two-child limit in an attempt to reverse a plummeting birth rate.

The country has one of the lowest birth rates in Southeast Asia and, like several other Asian nations, has grown concerned about the long-term impact of a falling birth rate.

In March, to address sharp regional differences in birth rates, the health ministry proposed giving couples full autonomy over how many children they wanted to have and when.

On Wednesday, local media reported that the national assembly had approved new regulation to allow families greater freedom in how many children they wanted to have and when.

The previous law encouraged families to have no more than two children, with some exceptions.

According to the health ministry, Vietnam maintained a stable fertility rate of 2.1 from 1999 to 2022. In the past few years, however, the rate has dropped sharply from 1.96 children per woman in 2023 to 1.91 in 2024, the lowest ever recorded.

In fact, 2024 marked the third straight year of falling fertility in Vietnam.

The trend is most evident in economically advanced urban areas, particularly major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where rising costs of living play a significant role.

Experts say Vietnam’s declining birth rate is driven by work stress, financial pressures, career ambitions, and shifting social norms.

The two-child limit was introduced in 1988 when the birth rate was high but was rarely enforced for non-Communist Party members. For party members, penalties included warnings, reduced bonuses or dismissal.

Vietnam continues to face a gender imbalance as well, driven by a long-standing cultural preference for sons. On Tuesday, the health ministry proposed tripling the fine “to curb foetal gender selection” to about $3,800, AFP reported, citing state media.

Although there has been some improvement, the birth gender ratio remains skewed, with 112 boys born for every 100 girls.

Many Asian nations like South Korea, Japan and China are struggling with plummeting birth and marriage rates. In South Korea, women cite the burden of childcare, financial strain, and lost career prospects as reasons for not having children.

Japan saw its lowest births in over a century in 2024 while China recorded a 20 per cent drop in marriages despite state efforts to reverse the trend.