HCMC faces low fertility rate, population aging

Ho Chi Minh City is among the 21 cities and provinces with the lowest fertility rate in Vietnam, officials said at a meeting Friday.

Pham Chanh Trung, director of HCMC Bureau of Population and Family Planning, said with a fertility rate of 1.39 children per woman of childbearing age, the city is facing two biggest challenges, namely low fertility rates and rapid population aging, which potentially cause heavy adverse consequences on social welfare and labor shortages.

The rate of people aged over 60 in the city has exceeded 10%. Last year, it had 1.033 million people aged more than 60, or 11.03% of its total population. These figures mark a milestone in the city’s rapid process of population aging.

To address the issue, the municipal health sector urged residents to join hands and support the national campaign that calls for each couple to have at least two children. It also raised awareness among young people about the significance of premarital health check-ups to screen, detect, and promptly treat reproductive health-related conditions.

Deputy director of the bureau Pham Vu Hoang said the city needs to work closely with ministries and agencies to improve population quality.

Vietnam News Agency – July 14, 2023