Of course, whether or not to have children is the decision of each individual. However, if this becomes a trend, it may lead to unfortunate consequences.
Ms. Mai Hoa, 30 years old, residing in Cau Giay ward (Hanoi) said: "I don't consider having children as an obligation, but indeed, no binding by responsibility to children can inadvertently lead to young people living in a loose, enjoying, and goalless style. These people only look at immediate benefits such as freedom, reducing financial pressure... without long-term calculations.
Ms. Hoa also opposed the views of young people today when considering children as a burden, hindering self-development. "I have witnessed friends after having families and children have matured a lot. They started to focus on doing business, know how to save and live more properly to set an example for their children. The responsibility of parents is heavy, but children are also a motivation for each person to strive and strive" - she said.
In July, at the meeting to respond to World Population Day 2026 with the theme "Joining hands to realize the aspirations of youth for a bright future", for the first time, the Ministry of Health placed the trend of late marriage, fewer children and non-birth of children among young people in the group of major challenges of sustainable development, showing that population policy is strongly shifting to adapting to low birth rates and population aging.
Deputy Minister of Health - Do Xuan Tuyen said that Vietnam's population policy is entering a new phase. If previously the focus was on maintaining the replacement fertility rate or improving the quality of the population, now it is facing the risk of prolonged low birth rates.
Vietnam is currently still in the golden population structure period with nearly 70 million people of working age aged 15-64. However, the "golden population window" only exists for a certain period.
The Ministry of Health warns that if the birth rate continues to fall deeply, Vietnam will soon face a shortage of labor force, population size decline and aging taking place faster.
The trend of late marriage is becoming increasingly common, causing many couples to have children late, have few children or not have children. When low birth rates last, the impact is not only limited to population size but also directly affects economic growth, labor productivity, social security systems and national competitiveness. More worryingly, low birth rates are happening in parallel with the fastest population aging rate in the world.
Many birth promotion policies have also been issued.
Decree No. 168/2026/ND-CP stipulates that from January 1, 2027, women who have 2 children before the age of 35 will receive a minimum support of 2 million VND.
The Population Law, effective from July 1, also stipulates that maternity leave for women is 7 months when giving birth to the 2nd child, financial support and especially priority to buy social housing when having 2 or more biological children.
At the local level, in Ho Chi Minh City, from 2025, a policy has been issued that women who have 2 children before the age of 35 will receive a one-time bonus of 5 million VND, an increase from the previous 3 million VND. This is the highest cash support level currently among localities that have implemented similar policies. In addition to direct bonuses for mothers, Ho Chi Minh City also applies health support programs for mothers and newborns from poor households or social protection beneficiaries. Specifically, the city pays 600,000 VND for prenatal screening, 400,000 VND for newborn screening, and an additional 1 million VND in cash for support.
Clearly, the view of not wanting to have children in a part of young people today is worrying, besides practical policies, there is also a need for propaganda solutions to encourage young people to marry and have children. Because from a certain perspective, having children and raising children well is also a contribution to the future of the country.
