Viet Nam’s Anti-natalist population policy
History
The anti-natalist population policy in Vietnam has been through four important periods: 1961-1975; 1976-1990; 1991-2000
and 2001-2010. The anti-natalist policy still continues till now
 16-5-1955, peace was formed in the North Vietnam and the Vietnamese were encouraged to have as many children
as possible to replace the number of people death in the war.
 Only in 6 years (1954-1960), Vietnam’s population had increased 6.34 million, which was 1.5 times the number of
people increased in 15 years before (1939-1954)( only increased 4,23 million people).
 Malnutrition and infant mortality rate(IMR) were high (about 157.9 /1000)
 Pressure on services such as food, housing, education and employment caused the government to fear that what
would happen in the future if the rates continue.
 In 1961, a population policy was first formulated (Policy 216-CP in 26/12/1961) by the socialist government of
North Vietnam.
 After the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1975, population in Vietnam has increased to 48 million,
which is two times greater than the population in 1955. The regime expanded family planning services to the South
 The National Council of Population and Family Planning (NCPFP) was established in 1984.
 In 1988, the government implemented an anti-natalist population policy (two-or-one child policy).The policy was
expanded all over Vietnam.
 1999 Vietnam received the United Nations Population Award Laureates
 In May 2003, Vietnam passed an Ordinance on Population which states that people have the right to decide how
many children they can have. The (NCPFC), says that choice was officially allowed—but not encouraged. Yet it
seems that people took the government at its word. Third children started popping out all over Vietnam, with a jump
of 3% in the number of third-child births being recorded in the first half of 2004.
 2005, at almost 230 people per square kilometer (600 per square mile), Vietnam has twice the population density of
China.
 In the first nine months of 2008, 93,000 babies were born, a 10% rise on last year. It was announced that the
government was considering reviving the anti-natalist policy because the government fears that baby boom will
damage economic growth and strain health and education services.
Statistics
Year
Population
Population growth
Fertility rate
Infant mortality rates
(million)
rate(%)
( per woman)
30.2
3.8
6.3
139.3/1000
1961
47.6
2.4
5.25
118.4/1000
1975
60.3
2.31
3.95
70/1000
1985
67.24
1.86
3.23
37.9/1000
1991
77.64
1.36
2.1
29.2/1000
2000
91,519,289 (14 t h in 1.89 children
1.054
20.24/1000
2012
the world)
(113 t h in the world)
(139 t h in the world) (19th in the world)
1975: Population: 47,6 million ( increased 1,58 times the population in 1960)
1991: Population: 67,24 million (increased 1,41 times the population in 1975)
2000: Population: 77.64 million ( 4.36 million lower than the expected :82 million)
2012: fertility rate fell from 6.3(1960) to 1.89 (2012) Population growth rate fell from 3.8(1960)to 1.054% Infant
mortality rate fell from 139.3 to 20.24/1000
The “ two-or-one” child policy
Period 1961-1975- FIRST EFFORTS
 1961- Introduced the family planning policy (216-CP in 26/12/1961) to people in South Vietnam. The regime
planned to lower the annual population growth rate from 3.5 to 2 percent by advising couples to limit their family
size to 2–3 children with 5–6 years of birth spacing.
 To support the family planning policy, contraceptive and abortion services have been supplied free of charge through
an extensive public health network.
Period 1976-1990- THE POLICY EXPANDED ALL OVER VIETNAM
 The regime expanded family planning services to the South
 By the late 1980s, the NCPFP had established provincial offices, commune-level branches, and networks of village
level family planning promoters.
1988 the government introduced the two-or-one child policy and expanded all over Vietnam.The program's
guidelines called for two children per couple, 3-to-5 year birth spacing, and a minimum age of twenty-two for firsttime mothers.
Period 1991-2000- TOTALLY CHANGE
 Accelerated the policy and achieved remarkable success.
Period 2001-2010: the policy was less effective in 2003 and then reinforced in later 2008.
The anti-natalist policy in Vietnam focus on education and information about the effect of having large family, specifically
more than two children
Penalties: People may not have been officially punished, but state employees (of whom there are many) tended suddenly to
find promotions and bonuses hard to come by.
Families with more than two children will not receive some social benefits.
Limitation
Vietnam is holding back from a one-child policy is a fear the population's gender balance would be affected since parents
who had no son were more prone to have a third child because they think only sons can carry on the family name, do the
farming work and support parents when the get old. Moreover, some government officials prefer boys to girls and it brings
negative effects on the.
The adherence to the family planning policy was lower among mother with less education, among village and countryside
area, and in Catholic households.
With a growing class of people in Vietnam now earning a comfortable living in private employment, such policies have less
and less impact.
Problem
The population growth rates are not balance: South East: 3.2% and the country 1.2% (2009) since the policy is not very
effective in some village and country side areas
Vietnam is now facing the aging population problem. 2009, the proportion of people over 60 raise 9% from last year. The
population was expected to become aging in 2015 but in fact it has started since 2012
Viet Nam’s population is expected to increase during the coming decade (2011-2020) due to population momentum from
earlier years of high fertility rate, even though Viet Nam has experienced a decrease in the total fertility rate.
The abortion rate in Viet Nam is really (1.34 million in 1992 and still increase) and the imbalance of sexes, resulting from the
traditional preference for boys.
Authorities are now concerned that with the low birth rate and the fertility rate(1.89 -2012) below the replacement, there are
insufficient children being born to maintain the working a population
In Vietnam now life expectancy is rising, the fertility rate (1.89-2012, below the replacement rate) is decreasing and in the
next 20 years many people will be in the senior group. The authorities afraid that there will not be a sufficient labor force as
the population is ageing.
Relaxation
The optimum population as being around 58million (2010).
At the moment, Vietnam is experiencing the “golden population” ( 2 or more people in working age(15-60) to 1 people in
dependent age( under 15 or over 60))
Vietnam has already achieved the aim of the anti-natalist population.

Analysis: Over fifty years since the family planning policy in Vietnam was first introduced in 1960s, it has been
very effective in controlling population growth. The policy focuses mainly on educating people, especially
women, that if they have fewer children, they can raise and educate their children better. Moreover, the
government has also provide contraceptive and abortion services to support the policy. Consequently, only in a
short period Vietnam has achieved a tremendous reduction in a very short period of time. Population growth rate
from 1999 to 2009 is 1,2%/year, decreased 0,5%/year compare to 10 years ago and it was the lowest rate in
50years. Furthermore, with the gender ratio has became more balanced. From 1969 to 2012, the population
growth rate, fertility rate and infant mortility rate have decreased remarkably (see the table below). Also the size
population estimated less than it would have been.( see below).The attitude of people is the key factor of the
success of the anti-natalist population policy in Vietnam. However, the population in Vietnam is still increasing
due to population momentum (more than 1 million people a year). In addition, Vietnam is facing a problem
about aging population since the birth rate continues to decline. Therefore, the government has planned some
changes to improve the policy.
Reference
http://www.bmj.com/content/313/7065/1113
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2174686?uid=3738776&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101138893011
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2174686?uid=3738776&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101138893011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/21/vietnam-population-baby-boom
http://www.economist.com/node/3966385
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Vietnam
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1011799.stm
Goodkind 1994
UBND THÀNH PHỐ HÀ NỘI
TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG Y TẾ HÀ ĐÔNG
The Role of Abortion in the
Last Stage of Fertility Decline
in Vietnam
Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan and Sajeda
Aminhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/vm.html