Proposal to increase birth rate in urban areas

The petition was made by voters in Ho Chi Minh City when reflecting on issues related to the health sector before the 7th Session of the 15th National Assembly, in the context that many provinces and cities have a trend of low birth rates, leading to a national birth rate of only 1.96 children/woman in 2023, the lowest in history. The birth rate is forecast to continue to decrease.

In Ho Chi Minh City in particular, the average number of children per woman of childbearing age is 1.32, down from 1.42 last year, a warning decrease. Ho Chi Minh City is among the 21 provinces and cities with low birth rates nationwide.

Responding to this issue, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that the trend of low and very low birth rates is concentrated in some urban areas, where the socio-economic conditions are developed and urbanization is high. The birth rate in urban areas has been lower than the replacement rate for the past 20 years and has always been lower than the birth rate in rural areas.

2/6 socio-economic regions (Southeast, Mekong Delta) have low birth rates below replacement level. The Southeast is the region with the highest average income per capita in the country but the lowest birth rate in the country, with an average of 1.47 children per woman. 21/63 provinces and cities have low birth rates, accounting for about 39.37% of the country's population; most of them are in the key economic region of the South, highly urbanized, with rapid economic growth.

"The prolonged low birth rate leaves many consequences such as rapid population aging, labor shortage, affecting social security, leading to a decrease in the proportion of children under 15 years old and an increase in the proportion of the elderly," the Minister said, adding that Vietnam is still in the process of population aging and is one of the countries with the fastest aging rate in the world. The falling birth rate further accelerates the population aging process in our country.

Therefore, in order to maintain a stable replacement fertility rate, ensure population growth rate and maintain a reasonable working-age population structure contributing to sustainable population development, the Government and the health sector have proposed many solutions to mobilize, support and encourage people to have two children. In particular, the criteria for reducing the number of children born to 3 or more are abolished, encouraging women to get married before the age of 30 and have two children before the age of 35. Many provinces and cities also apply a cash reward policy to encourage births, such as Long An, Bac Lieu, Hau Giang...

The Minister also said that localities should research, pilot, and expand childcare, babysitting, breast milk banks, and family doctor services. Localities should plan to build childcare centers and kindergartens that are suitable for mothers, especially in economic zones, industrial zones, and urban areas. Couples who have two children should be supported to buy social housing or rent housing; and children's education costs should be supported. In addition, there are policies to reduce personal income tax and exempt public contributions by household.

"Step by step pilot measures to increase social and community responsibility for individuals who do not want to get married or get married too late," the Minister said, adding that at the same time, propaganda and behavioral change campaigns will be stepped up, focusing on the benefits of having two children. The policy also aims to disseminate the disadvantages of getting married and having children too late, having few children for socio-economic development, for the family and taking care of parents in their old age.