Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has put forward a plan to allocate VND650 billion (US$25.5 million) to support women who have two children before turning 35, and over VND151 billion ($5.7 million) in incentives for families with two daughters.
The aim is to address the country’s historically low birth rate.
This initiative is part of the draft, Population Law, as the nation grapples with a steadily declining fertility rate.
Vietnam’s birth rate hits historic low
Health Minister Dao Hong Lan said that the country’s total fertility rate has reached a historic low, with 2024 marking the third consecutive year the rate remained below the replacement level of 2.1 – currently at just 1.91 children per woman.
He said that if the decline continues, the nation’s “golden population period” could end by 2039.
The working-age population could peak in 2042 and the country may begin experiencing negative population growth after 2054.
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MoH outlines $204-million plan
The MoH has proposed a range of measures estimated to cost over VND5.36 trillion ($204 million), according to a VietNamNet report.
These include financial or material support for women giving birth, incentives for having two children, living cost subsidies, preschool meal assistance, and free or subsidized prenatal care.
The goal is to maintain the replacement fertility rate by easing the burden of child-rearing, encouraging greater paternal involvement, and lowering pregnancy and childbirth costs to promote having two children, the report said.
Additionally, over VND3 trillion ($114 million) is earmarked for improving population quality through premarital health consultations and prenatal and neonatal screenings, diagnosis and treatment.
Experts call for broader reforms
Giang Thanh Long, a senior lecturer at the National Economics University in Hanoi, said that increasing the birth rate requires more than awareness campaigns.
It needs systemic improvements in living standards, healthcare, education, and long-term prospects.
Population expert Nguyen Dinh Cu echoed the need for practical support, such as financial aid, personal income tax cuts, and subsidies for families with young children or the elderly, and a transformation in societal attitudes toward childbearing among the youth.
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