Echoing China, Vietnam abolishes two-child policy following sharp drop in birth rate

Hanoi: In a major policy shift, Vietnam’s Communist Government has officially done away with its decades-old two-child limit, amid growing concern over the nation’s shrinking birth rate, state media reported on Wednesday.

The restriction, which was introduced in 1988 to control population growth, will no longer apply, and decisions on family size will now rest solely with individual couples, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Health Ministry data shows the country’s fertility rate has steadily declined in recent years, dropping below the replacement level to 1.91 children per woman in 2024. This continues a downward trend from 2.11 in 2021, 2.01 in 2022, and 1.96 in 2023.

The drop in birth rates has been most pronounced in Vietnam’s urban and economically advanced areas, particularly in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where the rising cost of living has become a major factor.

"Even though I am an Asian, with social norms that say women need to get married and have kids, it's too costly to raise a child," said Tran Minh Huong, a 22-year-old office employee, speaking to AFP.

Earlier this year, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong acknowledged that motivating families to have more children remains a difficult challenge despite recent policy changes and public awareness campaigns.

She warned that the birth rate slump could threaten Vietnam’s long-term economic and social stability by accelerating the ageing population and shrinking the labour force. Huong called for a shift in societal focus from family planning to broader population and development strategies.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is also contending with ongoing gender imbalances rooted in a traditional preference for sons. In response, the health ministry on Tuesday proposed increasing fines for gender-selective abortions threefold to $3,800, aiming to deter foetal sex selection. Though the situation has improved, the gender ratio at birth remains uneven at 112 boys for every 100 girls.

Hoang Thi Oanh, a 45-year-old mother of three, recalled losing benefits after the birth of her youngest child due to the previous policy.

"It's good that at last the authorities removed this ban," she said. "But raising more than two kids nowadays is too hard and costly. Only brave couples and those better-off would do so. I think the authorities will even have to give bonuses to encourage people to have more than two children."

Vietnam's move follows a similar shift in neighbouring China, which ended its one-child policy in 2016 and later allowed up to three children per couple. However, like Vietnam, China continues to face population decline amid economic pressures and lifestyle changes—its population shrank for a third consecutive year in 2024.