Fewer boys are being born compared with the number of girls in Vietnam for the first time since 2006, suggesting a return to gender balance in the country, said the Deputy Head of the General Department for Population and Family Planning, Nguyen Van Tan.
Tan said there were 112.4 male births for every 100 female births in 2014, down from girls from the previous 113.8 boys for every 100 girls in 2013.
He said it was too early to read a trend in the year-on-year comparisons, but the data from 40 cities and towns suggested Vietnam was making headway in restoring gender balance.
Tan said Vietnam’s birth rate rose from 1.99 children in 2011 to 2.13 in 2013.
A balanced, moderate population growth rate was crucial to Vietnam.
Tan said if measures to curb population growth failed, by 2050, the Vietnamese population would reach 130-140 million, with a population density of 400 people per square kilometre, causing considerable pressure on socio-economic development.
However, a drop in population growth to 1.35 children would lead to a total population of 95-100 million, leading to a smaller labour force and lower economic growth.
Tan said low population growth countries, such as South Korea and Taiwan, were already experiencing problems with shrinking populations, which, coupled with longer lifespans and declining workforce numbers, was placing pressure on taxation revenue amid growing demands for costly aged care.
Vietnam is targeting a population of 115-120 million by 2050, or a growth rate of 1.9 to two children per couple. Tan said two children per couple was the ideal.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
