HCMC – The Ministry of Health aims to raise the total fertility rate by an average of 2% per year nationwide under a plan to restore replacement-level fertility by 2030.
The target is set out in Decision 1069/QD-BYT issued on May 4 by the Ministry of Health as part of a national program to maintain replacement fertility, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The ministry described the goal as a key metric as fertility has fallen below the replacement level. Measures focus on communication campaigns, expanded reproductive health services, and policies supporting childbirth and child-rearing.
The plan targets more than 95% of couples of reproductive age receiving adequate information on marriage and childbirth. All provinces and centrally governed cities are required to adopt support policies suited to local conditions.
The ministry said that raising fertility is linked to improving population quality and ensuring long-term workforce development.
The plan calls for reviewing and adjusting regulations that no longer align with fertility targets. This includes proposals to amend or remove rules related to violations of population policies. It also encourages public officials and Party members to take a leading role in family development and child-rearing.
Local governments are tasked with introducing support measures based on socio-economic conditions and budget capacity. Priority is given to areas with below-replacement fertility and to very small ethnic minority groups.
The ministry also proposed removing policies aimed at reducing births, such as criteria discouraging third children, and revising incentives for families and communities to have children.
The national fertility rate declined from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 1.91 in 2024 and 1.93 in 2025, missing the target of maintaining replacement-level fertility in the 2020–2025 period.
Data from the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance showed that by mid-2025, 11 of 34 provinces and cities had fertility rates below two children per woman, 19 provinces recorded rates of 2.2 or higher, and four provinces were around the replacement level of 2.0 to 2.2.
An official assessment found declining fertility across both high- and low-rate areas nationwide, with the 2030 replacement-level target at risk without further measures.
