Vietnam has officially scrapped its decades-old two-child limit, state media reported, as the country faces a rapidly dropping birth rate and an ageing population.
Introduced in 1988, the rule limiting families to two children will no longer apply. According to Vietnam News Agency, the National Assembly Standing Committee approved the change in Hanoi on Tuesday, allowing couples to decide their own family size.
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This move comes amid growing concerns over declining fertility. The country’s total fertility rate fell to a historic low of 1.91 children per woman in December, the third year in a row it has been below the replacement level of 2.1. The rate was 2.11 in 2021 and dropped to 1.96 in 2023.
Urban centres like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have seen steeper declines due to rising living costs and lifestyle changes. One young office worker, Tran Minh Huong, said the change won’t affect her choice to remain child-free, citing the high cost of parenting.
Under previous rules, most families could only have one or two children, with Communist Party members facing penalties for non-compliance. Although enforcement was uneven, violations risked demotions or other punishments.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong recently admitted that, despite efforts, it’s still difficult to convince families to have more children. Concerns include labour shortages and the ageing population.
Vietnam also continues to struggle with gender imbalance. The Health Ministry proposed tripling the fine for selecting a baby’s gender before birth to $3,800, as the current male-to-female ratio remains skewed at 112 boys per 100 girls.
Some citizens, like 45-year-old Hoang Thi Oanh, welcomed the policy shift but noted that the high cost of raising kids remains a hurdle. “It’s good the restriction is gone,” she said, “but it’s still expensive to raise children.”
Experts warn that without strong incentives, Vietnam could face similar challenges to China, which lifted its one-child policy in 2016 and still saw falling birth rates.
The UN Population Fund has also cautioned that Vietnam is entering a period of population ageing and may become an “aged society” within the next 20 years.
