In 1999, the average age at first marriage in Vietnam was 24.1 years.

Twenty years later, in 2019, it had increased modestly to 25.2 years - a rise of just 1.1 years over two decades.

However, during the following five years, from 2019 to 2024, the average climbed by another 2.1 years, reaching 27.3 years.

In many localities - particularly major cities, the Southeast region and the Mekong Delta - many men are postponing marriage until after the age of 30.

Ho Chi Minh City currently records the highest average age at first marriage for both men and women nationwide.

The Ministry of Health considers this one of the country's most significant demographic challenges.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen warned that later marriage often leads to delayed childbearing, fewer children or remaining child-free, contributing to declining fertility rates.

"Persistently low fertility will directly and profoundly affect Vietnam's population size and structure," he said. "It could result in labor shortages, slower population growth, accelerated population aging and increased migration."

Broader challenges facing young people

Officials say delayed marriage reflects not only personal choices but also the cumulative impact of Vietnam's long-standing gender imbalance at birth.

According to the ministry, Vietnam currently has 415,200 more men than women in the 20-39 age group, which is generally considered the country's prime marriage age.

This imbalance presents another major demographic challenge.

The ministry noted that the shortage of women does not increase women's social status.

Instead, it may contribute to delayed marriage among men, reduced opportunities to form families and broader social problems, including human trafficking, prostitution, gender-based violence and transnational crime.

Although the average age at first marriage continues to rise, the 2024 National Health Monitoring Survey found that the average age of first sexual intercourse among Vietnamese adolescents and young adults has fallen to 18.7 years.

The trend toward earlier sexual activity has become increasingly evident.

Health officials also expressed concern that only about 54% of young people reported using contraception during their first sexual encounter.

According to Do Xuan Tuyen, teenage pregnancy and childbirth remain at relatively high levels.

Child marriage in ethnic minority communities has declined but still stood at 15% in 2023, while consanguineous marriage has not been completely eliminated.

He also noted that although the average height of Vietnamese youth has improved, progress remains slower than expected.

The ministry believes these issues could affect the quality of Vietnam's future workforce.

A rapidly aging population

Another challenge facing today's young generation is the country's rapidly aging population.

In 2024, Vietnam had approximately one older adult for every two children.

Within the next 50 years, projections suggest there could be four older adults for every two children.

"The trend toward having fewer children among young people is accelerating population aging," Do Xuan Tuyen warned. "If appropriate policies are not introduced, the young labor force will shrink, while the burden of social welfare, elderly care and economic development will increasingly fall on today's younger generation."

Global trends

According to the United Nations World Youth Report 2026, the world is currently home to the largest youth population in history.

In 2026, there are an estimated 1.3 billion people aged 15-24 among the global population of more than 8.2 billion.

At the same time, the proportion of young people within the world's population has declined from 17.8% in 2000 to 15.6% in 2025, and is projected to fall further to 13.3% by 2050.

In several East Asian economies, the share of people aged 15-24 is expected to become particularly low by 2050: China: 6.5%; South Korea: 6.4%; Japan: 8.1%

Vo Thu