Vietnam may enter a period when the population stops growing, or even declines after more than three decades if birth rates continue to remain low. This warning is stated in the Population Forecast Report for the period 2024-2074 published by the Statistics Office.
According to the average scenario, with a birth rate of 1.85 children/woman, Vietnam's population will reach the growth threshold of 0% in 2060 and begin to decline from 2061. More worryingly, if the birth rate decreases to 1.45 children/woman, the population may grow negatively from 2051, 10 years earlier, with an average decrease of 461,000 people/year at the end of the forecast period. Conversely, if the high birth rate of 2.01 children/woman is maintained, the population will still increase until 2074.
No matter what scenario, Vietnam is also entering a period of slow population growth, facing the risk of rapid aging, social security pressure and labor shortages, increasing the worry of "aging before getting rich".
Faced with this situation, from 2026, the population sector will focus on mobilizing each couple to have enough two children. The new Population Law, expected to take effect from July 2026, along with priority policies such as supporting access to social housing for families with enough two children, is expected to contribute to adjusting the birth rate and ensuring sustainable development.
2026 begins with the birth cry of the first young citizen
The moment of New Year's Eve entering 2026 at the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital became even more special when the first young citizen of the new year cried to be born safely and healthily, bringing joy and hope to his family and team of doctors and nurses.
The baby girl was named Tang Ngoc Khanh Linh by her family, weighing 3.5 kg, born under close monitoring and attentive care by the team of doctors and obstetricians of the Obstetrics Department. Immediately after birth, the baby was performed with skin-to-skin method - a sacred moment to help connect maternal love, and at the same time bring important benefits to the health of newborns.
In that emotional atmosphere, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Anh, Director of the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, directly congratulated the family, sent words of encouragement and wished a peaceful and good start for the baby - the first young citizen of 2026.
At Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, at 0:05 on January 1, 2026, baby boy Cao Xuan Phuc - son of pregnant woman Nguyen Thi Thanh Nang (born in 1990, Hanoi) - cried his first cry. The special delivery was performed by the team of Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hai, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Endocrinology A1.
Although the baby was born in a situation with two rings wrapped around the neck, thanks to timely handling and solid expertise of the team, the surgery took place safely. Immediately after that, the baby was placed in the mother's chest, with sparkling eyes as if curiously welcoming the new world. Currently, the health of both mother and baby is stable.
Just 30 minutes later, at the operating room next door, another cry of birth echoed. Still emotional after giving birth right at the beginning of the year, pregnant woman Tran Thi Thu Trang choked up and shared her happiness when both mother and child successfully gave birth, welcoming the new year in peace.
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