Vietnam is working to improve its fertility rate as the country is facing the risks of an aging population as well as losing its “golden population” phase that affect the socio-economic development.

This is seen as a radical change compared to the current Population Ordinance, which called for each couple or individual to have “one to two children.”

The average fertility rate per woman of childbearing age in Ho Chi Minh City has decreased to 1.32 from last year’s 1.42, the HCM City Department of Health said on July 8.

Without timely policy adjustments and solutions to raise the birth rate, Vietnam's population will gradually decrease, hindering the country's socio-economic development.

VN is grappling with specific challenges, particularly concerning the target for 2030, which aims to sustain a steady replacement fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman, while anticipating a population size of approximately 104 million.

Vietnam needs "now or never" policies "to become rich before getting old", experts say.

Vietnam continued to see a fertility rate decrease in 2023. The low birth rate will cause consequences such as a rapid aging population and labor shortage. It will also affect social security.

If the fertility rate continues to decreases, Vietnam will begin seeing minus fertility growth rate after 2054 and the total population will fall to 72 million by 2100, experts have warned.

Vietnam’s population was estimated at 100.3 million in 2023, ranking third in Southeast Asia (behind Indonesia and the Philippines) and making it the 15th largest country by population in the world, reported the General Statistics Office.

While Vietnam has achieved significant milestones in population management, successfully controlling population growth since 2006 and entering the golden population structure in 2007, there was stark regional differences in birth rates.

The life expectancy of Vietnamese has increased from 73.3 to 73.7 years, higher than other Southeast Asian countries.

The average life expectancy of Vietnamese is 73.6 years, with women having a longer life expectancy than men, 76.1 vs 71.1, respectively.

Dr Nguyen Trung Anh, Director of the Central Geriatric Hospital, said that each elderly person on average suffers from more than three common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, dementia or stroke.

About 67 percent of people aged 30-44 want to be independent in their old age, but 30 percent of them have made plans to do so. About 20 percent believe that people need to begin drawing up plans on health and financing when they turn 40 years old.

If the fertility rate in Ho Chi Minh City continues to remain low, it will cause significantly bad consequences for the city's socio-economic development in the future.

HCMC is among the 21 cities and provinces with the lowest fertility rate in the country.

Ho Chi Minh City is facing a low level of fertility and the prospect of a rapidly aging population; thus, it is calling for a couple to have enough 2 children.

Vietnam, which is experiencing a period of population aging, is seeking ways to turn the situation into opportunities by optimising the strengths of senior citizens.

Gender imbalance at birth has been found in all regions of Vietnam, especially in the Red River Delta area, according to the General Office for Population (GOP).

In 2023, Vietnam will welcome its 100 millionth citizen. However, the country is facing a low fertility rate and striving to maintain the replacement fertility rate and keep the gender balance.