Overview

• The National Assembly approved on June 3 removing the 1988 two-child limit to allow couples unrestricted family planning.
• Vietnam’s fertility rate has fallen from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 1.91 in 2024, marking three consecutive years below the replacement level.
• The Health Ministry proposes tripling fines for sex-selective abortions to about €3,334 as authorities seek to correct a growing male surplus.
• Demographers warn that a rapidly aging population and looming labor shortages could undermine the country’s socio-economic growth.
• Studies link the skewed sex ratio to rising forced marriages, human trafficking and increased violence against women in rural regions.