At the Workshop on "Contributing ideas and perfecting policies in the Population Law and suggesting policies for demographic transition in Asia-Pacific economies", many important contents related to population work were analyzed and suggested.

Delegates attending the workshop.

Talking about the achievements of population work in recent times, according to Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Vietnam's population work has achieved great achievements, contributing significantly to the country's socio-economic construction and development; the rapid population growth rate has been successfully controlled, Vietnam has reached the replacement fertility level since 2006 and has continued to maintain it since then.

The replacement fertility rate is not really sustainable (the average number of children per woman of childbearing age is 1.96 children and the population growth rate is 0.84% ​​in 2023), there is a trend of low fertility, the difference in fertility between regions and subjects has not been overcome; the gender imbalance at birth is still high (the sex ratio at birth is 111.8 boys/100 girls in 2023);

Population aging is increasing rapidly; there are no synchronous solutions to effectively promote the advantages of the golden population structure period and adapt to population aging; the average life expectancy of Vietnamese people is increasing (in 2023 it will be 74.5 years old) but the number of healthy years is not commensurate; population distribution and migration management still have many shortcomings.

The average life expectancy of Vietnamese people has increased (74.5 years in 2023), but the number of healthy years is not proportional, and population distribution and migration management still have many shortcomings.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, the Ministry of Health is currently assigned to preside over the development of the Population Law Project and is in the process of developing and perfecting policies.

The leaders of the Ministry of Health emphasized that the development of the Population Law to replace the current Population Ordinance is very necessary to create a legal basis to institutionalize the Party's guidelines, policies and strategies on population work in the new situation.

At the same time, there are measures to cope with the rapid population aging in the coming time, effectively taking advantage of the golden population structure period to serve the country's sustainable development; aiming for 2045, Vietnam will be a country with a good quality population, a large labor force, high income... enhancing Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena.

At the workshop, according to some experts, if in the past Vietnam only focused on reducing births nationwide, now we are having to carry out a "dual task" of both reducing births in areas with high birth rates, and promoting and encouraging the birth of two children in areas with low birth rates and maintaining results in localities that have reached replacement birth rates.

Therefore, the first policy proposed by the Ministry of Health in the Population Law project is to maintain the replacement fertility rate. The goal is to develop measures to firmly maintain the replacement fertility rate nationwide.

Along with that, it regulates the rights and obligations of each couple and individual in having children; ensures human rights in implementing population policy; contributes to overcoming the significant difference in birth rates between regions and subjects.

Notably, the drafting agency proposed to regulate the right of couples and individuals to decide on having children, the time of giving birth, the number of children and the interval between births.

Mr. Le Thanh Dung, Director of the Department of Population, Ministry of Health, said that if regulations are put in place so that people can take the initiative in deciding when to give birth, the number of children, etc., the situation of declining replacement fertility can be partly overcome.

Vietnam has a tendency to decrease the replacement fertility rate, although not at an alarming level, this will certainly become a big problem if we do not have an intervention solution from now.

"Currently, the Ministry of Health is seeking opinions and suggestions from experts and researchers to have an official report submitted to the Government to create the most favorable conditions for couples and people who want to have children. The goal is to have the best quality of population and race," said Mr. Dung.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Vinh, Director of the Institute of Sociology - Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, also said that it is necessary to remove the regulation that couples should have 1-2 children.

If the proposal to remove the regulation of having 1-2 children in the Population Law draft of the Ministry of Health is approved, all people will comply, and related policies and sanctions will also be adjusted.

However, experts also said that the Population Ordinance is still in effect, the highest legal basis is still the current law and the new loosening regulations are just proposals.

Referring to solutions for population development, sustainable country, happy families and people, Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, National Assembly Delegate of the 15th term, said that for each family to be able to have 2 children, the income of a family of 2 working people must be able to properly support 4 people (2 adults, 2 children).

The government, businesses and workers need to unify their awareness and solutions so that families with 2 working members have enough income to raise and educate 2 children properly. It is necessary to change from the minimum wage regulation to the hourly living wage regulation for a family of 4.

Workers' working hours must be short enough (8 hours/day, 40 hours/week) so that they have time to find a partner, take care of their children, family and private interests;

In addition, according to Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, there needs to be a competitive housing market, support and supervision from the State so that workers can rent or buy houses at acceptable prices, so that not having a house does not become an insurmountable condition when getting married;

In addition, working conditions, maternity and paternity leave, salary and promotion regimes in enterprises must encourage marriage and childbirth, not creating conflicts between work and family and having children;

At the same time, it is necessary to universalize preschool education (for children from 3 months to 5 years old) so that parents have the conditions to work and develop even after giving birth and when their children are still young. Develop the public and non-public education system to universalize primary, secondary and vocational education;

Sharing responsibilities between husband and wife in housework, child-rearing, and achieving true gender equality; building a social environment that is friendly to children, mothers, and families; demonstrating society's respect for those who fulfill their civic responsibilities so that the country can develop sustainably in terms of labor and population;

"The State has a program to provide practical support for infertile couples to have children; families can decide for themselves the number of children and when to have them. Develop a system of health care consultation and reproductive support," Mr. Nhan said.