Vietnam’s population is estimated to reach 94.7 million at the end of 2018, according to the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) under the Health Ministry. 

Newborn babies at Hung Vuong Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. (Source: tuoitrenews.vn)

At a recent conference on population work, the Office said the country’s population stands at 93.7 million at present, ranking 13th in the world and third in the Southeast Asian region. 

The GOPFP reported that more than 1.3 million babies were born in the country last year. Hanoi led provinces and cities in the number of births with over 117,000, almost double the number registered in Ho Chi Minh City (nearly 60,000). 

With life expectancy on the trend of rising, Vietnam is facing challenges of an aging population in terms of employment, labour, health care and social security, thus requiring solutions to improve life quality for the elderly.-VNA