Vietnam has officially scrapped its decades-old two-child limit, state media reported Wednesday, as the country faces a troubling decline in birth rates and mounting concerns over the long-term consequences of a shrinking population.
The regulation, introduced in 1988 to curb population growth, has now been lifted, with the Vietnam News Agency stating that family size will “now be a decision for each individual couple.”
The decision comes amid a steady drop in fertility rates. According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam’s total fertility rate fell to 1.91 children per woman in 2024—well below the replacement level of 2.1.
The figure has declined consistently over the past three years, from 2.11 in 2021 to 2.01 in 2022 and 1.96 in 2023.
The trend is most pronounced in urban and economically developed regions, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where rising living costs are discouraging young families from having children.
Health officials have repeatedly warned that the falling birth rate could jeopardize Vietnam’s future workforce and economic growth.
At a conference earlier this year, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said it was becoming “increasingly difficult to encourage families to have more children,” despite public campaigns and policy adjustments, Agence France-Presse reported.
She cautioned that the demographic shift could lead to an aging population and labor shortages, calling for a national mindset change “from focusing solely on family planning to a broader perspective of population and development.”
Vietnam is also struggling with a long-standing gender imbalance driven by a cultural preference for sons. The sex ratio at birth, while gradually improving, remains skewed at 112 boys for every 100 girls.
To address the issue, the Ministry of Health on Tuesday proposed tripling the current fine for sex-selective practices to $3,800.
It is illegal in Vietnam to disclose the sex of a fetus or to perform abortions for gender preference. Penalties are imposed on clinics that violate these rules.
Vietnam is the latest Asian country to abandon population control measures amid declining fertility. China ended its one-child policy in 2016 and began allowing three children in 2021, but its population has continued to shrink.
In 2024, China recorded a third consecutive year of population decline, largely due to economic pressures deterring couples from expanding their families.
