Vietnam officially ends Childbirth limit Policy: A turning point in Population strategy 2025

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Vietnam officially ends Childbirth limit Policy: A turning point in Population strategy 2025

Date: 2025.06.13

Ending the Childbirth limit Policy after more than 20 years

On June 3, 2025, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly officially approved an amendment to Article 10 of the 2003 Population Ordinance, putting an end to the slogan “Each family should have only 1 to 2 children” that had been enforced for over two decades.

The amendment gives couples and individuals autonomy over:

– Timing of childbirth

– Number of children

– Spacing between births
… depending on age, health, financial situation, education, and caregiving capacity — based on equality and voluntariness.

_{Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan stated that the amended Article 10 of Ordinance No. 06/2003/PL-UBTVQH11 allows citizens to decide when to have children, how many to have, and the spacing between births.}
*_{(Source: Lao Dong Newspaper)}*

The evolution of Vietnam’s population Policy

► 1961–1975: Forming population Policy during wartime
In the context of resistance war, Vietnam soon recognized the adverse effects of population explosion

– 1961: Decision 216/CP on guided childbirth

– 1963–1970: Continued directives encouraging fertility reduction

– Key method: Propaganda – advocacy – persuasion

– Results:
Population growth rate dropped from 3.8% → 2.5%
Average number of children per woman: 6.3 → 5.25

► 1976–1990: Consolidation Post-Reunification

– 1979 population: 52.7 million

– High birth rates continued due to “replacement births” and migration

– Policies:
▸ Widespread public education
▸ Fertility reduction linked to socio-economic development

► 1990–2024: Two-Child Policy and the “1 to 2 Children” Slogan
From the early 1990s, the slogan “Each couple should only have 1 to 2 children” was codified in Article 10 of the 2003 Population Ordinance.
Provisions included:

– Decisions on timing & spacing of childbirth

– Limit of 1 or 2 children (except special cases)

– Protection of reproductive health, disease prevention

Emerging risk: Declining fertility rates

– Since the 2020s, Vietnam has faced sub-replacement fertility (below 2.1 children/woman):

– 2021: 2.11 children/woman

– 2024: dropped to 1.91

– In HCMC and Hanoi: only 1.3 – 1.5 children/woman

This leads to rapid population aging and future labor shortages.

Pro-birth Policy 2025: A new milestone

To address this challenge, on June 3, 2025, Article 10 was amended as follows:

“Each couple and individual has the right to decide the timing, number, and spacing of giving birth…”

Key highlights:

– Removal of childbirth limits

– No administrative penalties for public employees with more than two children

– The State encourages having two children to maintain sustainable population levels

*_{Source: Government e-Portal (baochinhphu.vn)}*

Implications and Impact

The amendment to the Population Ordinance a major advancement:

– Respects reproductive rights

– Reduces the risk of excessive aging

– Stabilizes population size and demographic structure

☑️ However, for the policy to be effective, Vietnam must:

– Increase financial, healthcare, housing, and educational support for families with young children

– Build child-friendly work environments

– Promote awareness of the importance of having and nurturing children