Vietnam, a country of more than 100 million people, is facing a sharp decline in its birthrate. Once known for large families, the nation's fertility rate has fallen to just 1.9 children per woman. This figure worries the government, which for decades was obsessed with controlling population growth. For more than 40 years, a two-child policy was the norm in Vietnam – a restriction that was only lifted in June 2025.
Today, confronted with a rapidly ageing population and the prospect of labour shortages, the Vietnamese government is changing course. It is now trying to convince its citizens to have more children to boost births.
FRANCE 24's Dung Vo Trung, Mélodie Sforza and Adam Hancock report.
