Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong informed at the 2024 Population Work Summary Conference that Vietnam recorded a birth rate of 1.91 children/woman.
This is the lowest birth rate in history. Currently, the birth rate in Vietnam has been below the replacement level for 3 consecutive years.
Meanwhile, about 10-20% of women choose not to marry, give birth and raise children alone.
Talking to Lao Dong reporter, Dr. Pham Thi Thuy - lecturer at the National Academy of Public Administration, Ho Chi Minh City branch, psychological consultant at the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Cultural House - said that there are many reasons why many women are afraid of getting married and choose to have children on their own.
In fact, the number of people using egg freezing services is increasing rapidly, partly because many women want to focus on their careers, are afraid of marriage and have not found a soul mate.
"First, they fear losing their freedom when entering marriage. Modern women are financially and mentally independent, prioritizing self-development and career building. Therefore, some people think that marriage is a bondage that holds them back rather than bringing them happiness. They choose to be single and if they want to have children, they will give birth alone.
Second, many women no longer believe in the value of lasting marriage because they see many people getting divorced around them, or many couples living together unhappily.
On the other hand, women being financially independent and wanting to develop themselves also makes them more confident, so they also want to be proactive in having children and raising them without needing a father," said Ms. Pham Thi Thuy.
Experts point out that not only in Vietnam but also in many countries around the world, young people are exposed to Western culture so their concepts and thoughts will be somewhat affected.
Dr. Pham Thi Thuy shared that in many years of consulting female clients, she has encountered many cases of women getting divorced due to husbands being violent, drinking, or being irresponsible.
Therefore, when women witness stories of unhappy marriages around them, they may lose faith, fearing that they cannot keep their family stable. Not wanting to get married is also a strong voice of women, against the injustices that wives have to endure in a marriage where the husband is patriarchal, unfaithful, and adulterous.
However, Dr. Pham Thi Thuy affirmed that the situation of women not getting married but giving birth on their own will have a negative impact on society and population structure in the long run.
"Among women who do not want to get married, only a few want to have children themselves. These two phenomena go hand in hand, leading to a decrease in the birth rate, accelerating population aging," the expert said.
Women not having children also changes the traditional family model. In the past, in Vietnamese culture, it consisted of parents and children. But today, there are many other diverse models such as single mothers, single fathers from divorce, and even mothers who actively have children on their own without being married.
The fact that many women choose not to marry and have children on their own shows that they want to fight for freedom, equality and respect, but in the long run, if this rate increases, it will have big consequences for society."
Over the past 30 years, marriage and fertility trends in Vietnam have changed dramatically. The age at first marriage has increased sharply, the marriage rate has decreased, and the fertility rate has remained low.
From 1989 to 2022, the average age of first marriage for men increased from 24.4 to 29 years old, and for women increased from 23.2 to 24.1 years old.
Late marriage and low fertility are some of the reasons why fertility has halved over the past 30 years. In 1989, the average number of children per woman was 3.8, but by 2006 it had dropped to about 2.1 children and by 2024 it had dropped to 1.91, below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
