Vietnam has recorded a historic low birth rate in 2024, with the total fertility rate (TFR) dropping to just 1.91 children per woman, marking the third consecutive year below replacement level.

With every population policy centering on fundamental human rights, the population and family planning work has substantially contributed to national socio-economic development over the past years.

In the most disadvantaged communes in the northern mountainous region and Central Highlands, only 11% of ethnic minority mothers receive four antenatal check-ups - the minimum requirement.

Vietnam’s population and family planning work in 2019 faced difficulties, especially in communications due to decreased funding, heard a conference in Hanoi on January 9.

The General Office for Population - Family Planning recently launched the “It’s great to be a girl” video contest in response to the International Day for the Girl Child (October 11).

A workshop on active contraception took place in Hanoi on September 23 in response to World Contraception Day 2019.

More measures are set to be taken by Hanoi authorities in the time ahead to improve the local population quality.

Hanoi has set a goal this year to limit the imbalance of the sex ratio at birth and keep the rate at 113 girls per 100 boys.

People from Hanoi have Vietnam’s longest life expectancy, estimated at more than 75 years old, 1.6 years higher than the national average, according to the Hanoi Population and Family Planning branch.

The family planning work has contributed to stabilising the scale, structure and quality of the population, according to Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien.

Vietnam’s population is estimated to reach 94.7 million at the end of 2018, according to the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) under the Health Ministry.

A workshop on benefits of contraception was held in Hanoi in response to World Contraception Day to raise public awareness of contraception and prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently approved a project on enhancing equality in sexual and reproductive health, family planning and medical response in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) jointly held a ceremony in Hanoi on July 11 to mark 40 years of Vietnam-UNFPA cooperation and World Population Day (July 11).

It is necessary to switch the population policy’s focus from family planning to population and development, which is considered a policy revolution to thoroughly deal with population issues and improve the population’s quality, said an official.

A co-operative programme on population and reproductive health was signed last week between the General Office on Population and Family Planning under the Ministry of Health, and DKT International.

Vietnam’s fertility rate has declined from 6.4 to 2.1 children per woman over the last 55 years, but the rate varies widely among provinces.

Population policies should change from focusing on population and family planning to focusing on population and development, said Associate Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu, former director of the Institute of Population and Social Studies, at a conference in Hanoi on December 1.

Health experts gathered at a workshop in Hanoi on November 17 to discuss a draft project designed to improve the population situation, reproductive health and family planning services for youths.

Some four million men in Vietnam will have no chance of getting married by 2050 if the current imbalance in the nation’s sex ratio persists, experts say.