
Vietnam ends two-child policy to address declining birth rates and aging population
A billboard campaigning for each family to have two children in an effort to improve the birth rate stands along the street in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Image credit: AP)
Vietnam has officially ended its long-standing two-child policy. The country's National Assembly amended the law on Tuesday that restricted families to having one or two children.
The news was confirmed by state media, Vietnam News Agency, on Wednesday. The decision was made to boost falling birth rates and address concerns about an aging population.
Vietnam's "golden population" period - when the working age population outnumbered the dependent population- began in 2007 and may continue until 2039.
The working population is likely to reach its peak in 2042, and the total population may start shrinking by 2054.
This shift could slow economic growth, as there will be fewer workers and more older people needing care and support.
In 1988, Vietnam banned couples from having more than two children, with the idea that women would spend less time on childcare and focus on working. However, the number of children a family can have is up to them to decide.
Vietnamese families are having fewer children than ever before. The country is witnessing historically low birth rates.
In 2021, Vietnam's birth rate was 2.11 children per woman — slightly above the level needed to maintain a stable population. But since then, it has steadily dropped: to 2.01 in 2022, 1.96 in 2023, and 1.91 in 2024.
The decline in birth rates, especially in urban and economically developed cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is mainly due to the rising cost of living.
Nguyen Thu Linh, 37 said that she and her husband chose to have only one child so they could provide their 6-year-old son with the best education and upbringing they could afford.
"Sometimes, I think about having another child so my son can have a sibling, but there's so much financial and time pressure if you have another child," Linh said.
Deputy health minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said at a conference earlier this year that it is becoming harder to encourage families to have more children, even with policy changes and public awareness campaigns.
Expressing her concern, she added that the declining birth rate could impact long-term socio-economic development, including an ageing population and workforce shortages.
She urged society to change its mindset from just focusing on family planning and built a broader perspective on dimensions like population and development.
Vietnam is also struggling with an unbalanced gender ratio because of long-standing preference for boys. The ministry of health has proposed tripling the existing fine to $3,800 in order to curb fetal gender selection.
Vietnam isn't the only country to end it's two-child policy. China also ended its longstanding one-child policy, which began in 1979. The policy was first relaxed to allow a second child and later a third child in 2021. However, these changes made little success in boosting birth rates.

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Time of India
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- Time of India
Ukraine war intensifies; Bangladesh announces next election date: The week that was in international affairs
A smoke is seen from a window of apartments damaged by a Russian drone strike on Kyiv, Ukraine on Tuesday. (Pic credit: AP) Welcome back to another edition of My Take 5, your weekly round-up of international news. It has been a while so let's quickly get to the top global developments over the past week: Ukraine war intensifies: Recent weeks have seen the war intensify with Russia sending waves of drones and missiles to Ukrainian towns and cities spread across almost all regions of the country. This comes after Ukraine's stunning Operation Spiderweb on June 1, when Kyiv's intelligence service SBU was able to send covert drones deep into Russia – concealed in trucks – and take out Russia's strategic bombers across at least four airfields. A total of 41 aircraft were seriously damaged or completely destroyed, representing 34% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet, which also represents one leg of Moscow's nuclear triad. 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The Print
3 hours ago
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However, the Economic Survey acknowledged the challenge of meeting this target amid sluggish growth and new trade tariffs from the US, Pakistan's largest export destination. Aurangzeb also announced on Tuesday, moves to procure cheaper energy by shutting down expensive power plants and attracting foreign investment from countries like Turkey in the oil and gas sector, underscoring Pakistan's deepening ties with Turkey. Pakistan's Parliament will now begin debating the budget on Friday, 14 June, after a two-day recess. Discussions will continue until 21 June, followed by debate and voting on grant demands and motions on 24 and 25 June. The Finance Bill 2025 is expected to be passed on 26 June, with supplementary grants taken up the next day. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Pakistan's economic reforms a pushback against elite but it may backfire


Time of India
3 hours ago
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Ukraine launches over 100 drones attack in Russia, Moscow, St. Petersburg airports closed
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