Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Vietnam is making a dramatic U-turn on its decades-old population policy, officially ditching its strict two-child limit. Why the big change? The nation is grappling with a declining birth rate and the looming challenges of an aging population, prompting a shift from controlling family size to actively encouraging more births.
For years, Vietnamese families lived under a rule, first introduced in the 1960s, that generally restricted them to having no more than two children. This policy, often enforced with penalties for those who exceeded the limit, was aimed at curbing rapid population growth.
But times have changed. Vietnam's fertility rate has now dipped below the "replacement level" of 2.1 children per woman, currently sitting at around 1.9. This means, on average, there aren't enough babies being born to replace the current population, leading to concerns about future labor shortages, a shrinking workforce to support a growing elderly population, and increased strain on social welfare systems.
The government isn't just removing the cap; it's actively looking for ways to encourage people, especially educated and financially stable couples, to have more children. Think potential financial incentives, better access to healthcare and childcare services, and possibly more flexible work arrangements to help parents balance work and family life.
The challenge is particularly acute in urban centers like Ho Chi Minh City, where the birth rate is even lower, at around 1.39 children per woman. Rural areas tend to have slightly higher birth rates, but the national trend is clear. The government's new goal is to push the average back up to that crucial 2.1 children per woman mark.
This policy reversal mirrors trends seen in other Asian countries like China, South Korea, and Japan, which are also struggling with low birth rates and their societal consequences. Experts in Vietnam have welcomed the move, seeing it as a necessary step to ensure the country's long-term economic health and social stability. It marks a significant pivot from population control to population promotion, as Vietnam looks to secure its future by encouraging its citizens to grow their families.
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