On the morning of October 23, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, authorized by the Prime Minister, presented the draft Law on Population to the National Assembly.

According to the proposal, from 2006 to 2021, Vietnam achieved and maintained the replacement fertility rate, ensuring appropriate population growth. By 2024, the country’s population reached 101.1 million.

Vietnam is currently experiencing a "golden population structure," creating significant advantages for socioeconomic development.

The quality of the population and the Human Development Index (HDI) continue to improve, with average life expectancy also increasing steadily.

However, the drafting body noted that several existing legal provisions on population management are outdated and no longer meet current population needs.

New challenges have emerged, including a declining birth rate nationwide falling below replacement levels, gender imbalance at birth, and insufficient population quality.

One major cause is that some Party committees and local authorities lack a full understanding of population work. Public communication and awareness campaigns remain limited, and gender stereotypes still heavily influence many communities.

Resources allocated for population-related programs are inadequate, and government investment remains insufficient.

Late childbirth, low fertility, or a decision not to have children at all - combined with economic pressure in raising children - have all contributed to the declining birth rate.

In her summary presentation, Minister Dao Hong Lan stated that the draft law introduces new measures to maintain replacement fertility, including longer maternity leave, financial incentives for childbirth, and new criteria for priority access to social housing.

Specifically, women giving birth to a second child would receive an additional month of maternity leave, while men would be granted an extra five working days when their wife gives birth.

Financial support would be available to ethnic minority women, women who have two children before the age of 35, and women living in areas with low birth rates.

The draft also proposes prioritizing the purchase or rental of social housing - according to existing housing law - for women with two children or men raising two biological children without a spouse, due to being unmarried or widowed.

The government will stipulate the minimum support levels and detailed content of the policy.

Local governments, based on socioeconomic conditions and budgetary capacity, will determine eligible beneficiaries, levels of support, and policy implementation to ensure effective fertility rate maintenance.

The draft law also introduces new provisions aimed at reducing gender imbalance at birth and restoring the natural sex ratio.

Specifically, it prohibits any form of fetal sex selection, except when determining sex is necessary for diagnosing or treating genetic disorders linked to gender.

Communities are encouraged to incorporate principles promoting gender equality and discouraging sex selection in their customary regulations.

Medical professionals found revealing fetal sex without a medical justification will be subject to suspension under Ministry of Health regulations.

Presenting the appraisal report, Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society, recommended adding a new article to establish the state’s population policy framework within the general provisions of the law.

This would provide a comprehensive policy direction, covering living conditions, housing, education, and healthcare access.

To maintain replacement fertility, the committee proposed comprehensive, long-term measures, including financial support for women with two children, with higher support levels for those giving birth before age 35.

It also suggested clearer definitions for “areas with low birth rates.”

The committee advised revisiting and amending the Housing Law to ensure feasibility when applying housing priority policies for certain groups.

Additionally, the committee called for a regulation requiring the government to periodically announce the national fertility status.

This would enable local governments to develop and implement timely support policies.

In areas where birth rates drop critically low, the government should report to the National Assembly and propose prompt intervention measures.

Tran Thuong