Despite Vietnam lifting its long-standing two-child policy, many families say they have no plans to expand their households, citing financial strain and lifestyle priorities.
The Communist government scrapped the population limit on Wednesday in an effort to reverse declining birth rates and support an aging society. Yet citizens like 31-year-old pharmacy worker Nguyen Thi Nguyet Nga remain unconvinced.
Earning just $300 a month and living apart from her two daughters, Nga says a third child is out of the question. “We barely get by. My children deserve a better life, and I only see them once or twice a month,” she told AFP.
Though the two-child limit, first introduced in 1988, has been loosely enforced in recent years, the change in law hasn’t shifted public sentiment. Birth rates have continued to decline, with fertility falling to 1.91 children per woman in 2024—below the replacement level.
Even in rural areas like Nga’s hometown in Tuyen Quang province, traditional desires for larger families are giving way to practical concerns. “It’s better to raise two children well than struggle with three or more,” she said.
Young professionals echo that sentiment. Nguyen Thi Kim Chi, an 18-year-old university student in Hanoi, says she envisions having only one or two children. “I want to balance career, family, and time for myself,” she explained.
Rising costs of housing, education, and healthcare continue to deter larger families, especially in urban centers. The UN Population Fund welcomed the policy shift but emphasized that Vietnam must also provide structural support—such as affordable childcare, improved healthcare, and workplace gender equality—to make family expansion feasible.
Tran Thi Thu Trang, a mother of three in Haiphong, added that government support is essential. “Salaries must rise. We need help with tuition and healthcare. It’ll take years for people to change their views, and only if this becomes a national priority.”