According to the latest report on the world’s population conducted by United Nations Population Fund, Vietnam’s imbalance rate in 2019 was 111.5 boys per 100 girls, behind only China and India - the two most populous countries in the world.

Vietnam has faced a sex ratio imbalance at birth since 2006.

The imbalance started in Vietnam late but has increased faster than in other Asian countries.

In 2006, the country's sex ratio at birth started to exceed normal levels (104-106 boys to 100 girls). That ratio increased to 111.2 boys in 2010 and 112.8 boys in 2015. The increase was different between urban and rural areas and among regions.

The general population and housing census in 2019 showed the ratio was higher in rural areas than urban. The Red River Delta in the north had the highest level of imbalance.

International and Vietnamese studies have shown that sex imbalance at birth can lead to unpredictable consequences for society, the economy and political security./.VNA