On the afternoon of January 5, the Presidential Office held a press conference to announce the President's Order to announce the laws just passed by the 15th National Assembly at the 10th Session, including the Population Law.
The Population Law consists of 8 chapters and 30 articles, effective from July 1, 2026.
Mentioning the new points of the Law, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that the Law marks an important step in perfecting institutions and policies on population, meeting the requirements of national development in the new period.
To maintain the replacement birth rate, the law stipulates increasing maternity leave, financial support when giving birth, and supplementing subjects eligible to buy, rent, or rent social housing according to the provisions of housing law.
The law also clearly stipulates that each couple has the right to decide on the time of childbirth, the number of children and the distance between births suitable for the age, health condition, income and child raising of each individual and couple on an equal basis.
In the case of having a second child, maternity leave for female workers is 7 months; male workers are 10 working days when their wives give birth.
Very few ethnic minority women; women in provinces and cities with birth rates below replacement birth rates and women who have 2 children before the age of 35, according to the provisions of the Law, will be financially supported when giving birth.
People with 2 or more biological children will also be prioritized to buy, rent or rent social housing according to the provisions of housing law.
The law stipulates that the Government will decide on other measures to maintain the replacement birth rate. Based on the budget balance capacity, the provincial-level local government can decide on a higher level of support than the level of support prescribed by the Government.
To minimize gender imbalance at birth, the law strictly prohibits choosing the gender of the fetus in any form; notifying and disclosing the gender of the fetus (except in cases prescribed by the Minister of Health to serve the diagnosis and treatment of gender-related diseases).
Acts of coercion, coercion to have children or not having children, are also strictly prohibited.
In order to minimize gender imbalance at birth, the law encourages to include the content of not valuing men more than women, not choosing gender at birth in village regulations and conventions of the residential community.
People who have the act of notifying and disclosing the gender of the fetus for abortion will be suspended from practicing medical examination and treatment, according to the Population Law.
The Law also amends and supplements a number of articles of laws related to population work.
The Population Law takes effect from July 1st, but the regulations on financial support for childbirth for women in provinces and cities with birth rates below replacement birth rates and financial support for childbirth for women who have 2 children before the age of 35, will take effect later, from January 1st, 2027.
At the press conference, Mr. Pham Vu Hoang - Deputy Director of the Population Department (Ministry of Health) said that major policies stipulated in the law are general principles.
Regarding the policy of maintaining the replacement birth rate, in addition to framework, fundamental, and long-term regulations, there are specific regulations. In which, there is an addition of subjects eligible to buy, lease, buy or rent social housing according to the provisions of the law on housing.
Currently, the Ministry of Health is advising the Government to develop decrees and circulars of the Ministry of Health to guide the law. In which, coordinating with the Ministry of Construction to develop circulars amending and supplementing Circular 05/2024 detailing a number of articles of the Housing Law on documents proving the subjects and conditions for enjoying social housing support policies. Expected to be completed before May 15, 2026.
