Vietnam has scrapped a longstanding policy limiting families to two children, as the communist-run country grapples with a declining birthrate.
State media announced on Wednesday that couples could make their own decisions about how many children to have, and how much time to wait between births, reversing a decades-old preference for one- or two-child families.
Authorities are now searching for ways to boost families, as Vietnam’s birthrate fell to a record low of 1.91 children per woman in 2024, which is below replacement level.
Officials fear the trend could lead to an ageing society, creating labour shortages, putting pressure on social welfare systems and threatening the country’s economic growth plans.
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