HCMCity (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam’s economic engine HCM City has the lowest fertility rate in the country of 1.53, according to the Ministry of Health’s latestreport in June. 

A total 21 provinces and cities have low to very low fertility rates, mostly inthe Mekong Delta, southeast and central coastal regions. With a totalpopulation of 38 million, these provinces’ prolonged declining fertility ratespose dire threats to the country’s future in terms of security, workforce andeconomy, the report said. 

Meanwhile, 33 others have high fertility rates, with the central province of HaTinh topping the list at 2.9 births per woman of childbearing age. 

The MoH has recently decided to attempt to adjust fertility rates amonglocalities to maintain the desired fertility at replacement level of two to 2.2children per woman of reproductive age.

The ministry said it would allocate State funds to provide contraceptivemethods to localities with low birth rates which are usually poor and currentlyaccount for 42 per cent of the country’s population. 

There will also be incentives to encourage families in areas with low fertilityrates to have more children.

The plan touches on piloting online sex education and consulting for youth aswell as programmes to prevent infertility and reproductive cancers foradolescents. 

According to the MoH, Vietnam has a high rate of infertility of which 7.7 percentis primary infertility. 

The 2019 Population and Housing Census also revealed contradictions betweenwomen’s financial statuses and their willingness to bear a child.

Those in the richest group had the lowest fertility rate and vice versa. Seximbalance at birth has witnessed an upward trend in recent years, the censushighlighted. 

Vietnam’s total fertility rate (TFR) dropped from 2.25 children per woman in2001 to 1.99 in 2011. From 2012 to 2019, the rate ranged from 2.04 to 2.1. 

According to the 2019 census, the TFR of urban areas was 1.83 children perwoman, lower than rural areas’ average rate of 2.26. The trend has remained thesame for two decades. 

The imbalance in access to information and health care services contributes tothe status quo, the census suggests, as couples living in cities are aware ofthe benefits of family planning and can easily access contraception. 

Earlier in April, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a birth rateadjustment programme which encourages people to get married before the ageof 30 and women to give birth to their second child before they are 35.

The programme plans to offer incentives for couples with two children includingreducing tax, tuition fees, rental expenses and social housing prices.

Local authorities have been asked to pilot marriage and family consultationservices such as dating clubs and pre-marriage health consultations./.