The Department of Population (Ministry of Health) released this data at the rally commemorating Vietnam Population Day and the 2025 Population Work Review Conference, held on 17/12 in Hanoi. This upward trend suggests Vietnam's population will grow by nearly 600,000 people, reaching 101.9 million by early 2026, securing its position as the 15th largest population globally.

While surpassing the 2024 low of 1.91 children, the current birth rate of 1.93 still falls short of the ideal replacement level of 2.1 children. The national birth landscape reveals an uneven pattern: 20 provinces recorded an increase, 13 localities saw a decline, and Khanh Hoa maintained its previous index. Regional differences persist, with Ho Chi Minh City recording one of the nation's lowest rates at 1.51 children per woman, while Dien Bien led with 2.91 children. Nationally, 11 provinces reported birth rates below 2.0, and 19 provinces reported rates above 2.2 children.

This situation led the population sector to miss 5 out of its 11 targets this year. These included goals for the total fertility rate, reducing gender imbalance, screening for congenital diseases in newborns, and ensuring a higher proportion of elderly citizens received regular health check-ups.

A baby born at Tu Du Hospital. Photo: Thi Quan

Le Thanh Dung, Director of Population, attributed the slight recovery in the birth rate to various support measures. Since 2024, several localities in low birth rate regions, including Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, and Hau Giang, have piloted programs offering cash rewards and public service incentives. These benefits target women who give birth to two children before age 35. Additionally, authorities provided one-time financial support for pre-natal and newborn screening costs, aligned with public medical service prices. These timely interventions have fostered a greater sense of security among young couples, directly helping to halt a deeper decline and bringing the national birth rate to 1.93 children after a prolonged downturn.

The fact that 20 provinces saw an increase in their birth rate demonstrates that technical solutions combined with grassroots advocacy are yielding tangible results beyond mere slogans. To ensure this recovery trend's sustainability, Mr. Dung recommended that local policies expand to include fundamental support for housing and reducing the childcare burden for workers in industrial zones.

Director Dung further explained that agencies, starting in 2026, will prioritize encouraging every couple to have two children, framing this as a practical act of patriotism. To incentivize this, the Ministry of Health is developing policies to prioritize social housing for couples with two children. This regulation is expected to be formalized when the Population Law takes effect in 7/2026, supplementing the Ministry of Construction's existing priority criteria.

At the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen urged specialized units to definitively address the disparities in birth rates. He highlighted the persistent low birth rate in urban and industrial areas, which contrasts sharply with higher rates in mountainous regions where child marriage and consanguineous marriage remain issues. The Ministry of Health leader called on citizens to actively decide their family size. He also mandated the healthcare system to enhance pre-marital counseling and pre-natal screening to improve the population's overall quality.

Le Nga