Experts urge actions to address low fertility rate

Hanoi – An international policy consultation workshop held in Hanoi on August 28 sounded the alarm on Vietnam's declining fertility rate, with experts highlighting the linkage between education level, economic conditions and birth rates.

The hybrid event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Health's Vietnam Population Authority (VPA) and Merck Healthcare Vietnam Co. Ltd., gathered nearly 600 delegates from various ministries, agencies and localities.

The 2023 data revealed stark disparities in fertility rates across income groups. The wealthiest segment has a fertility rate of 2 children, while the poorest maintains a rate of 2.4 children. Those with a fairly good and average standard of living have fertility rates ranging from 2.03 to 2.07 children.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen warned that the national fertility rate has dipped below the replacement level, scoring a record low of 1.96 children per woman in 2023. This downward trend is expected to continue, reshaping the population's size and structure, and potentially leading to labour shortages and an aging population that could hinder the country's overall development.

Vietnam is facing a new challenge: maintaining a sustainable replacement fertility rate nationwide remains elusive, Tuyen cautioned, calling for measures to equalise fertility rates across regions and demographics.

Regionally, the southeast and the Mekong Delta have fertility rates below the replacement level. At the municipal and provincial level, 21 out of 63 cities and provinces, representing about 39.37 per cent of the national population, are experiencing low fertility rates. Many of these provinces are located in the key economic regions of southern Vietnam, which are highly urbanised and experiencing rapid economic growth.

Tuyen urged localities to effectively follow the Party and State's population policies. The VPA was tasked with integrating expert feedback to propose practical solutions suitable for Vietnam, which should be incorporated into the Population Law to maintain sustainable fertility rates and improve population quality.

Participants at the event examined global perspectives and policies on addressing low fertility rates, drawing from policy toolkits and practical experiences in the Asia-Pacific region. These insights will contribute to the building of general guidelines to maintain the replacement fertility rate in Vietnam.

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has recently promulgated a programme on fertility rate adjustment to 2030, with the aim of raising the rate of natural increase (RNI) to over 1.3 per cent by 2030.