Cash and Material Incentives for Families with Only Daughters Considered
Health Minister Announces New Population Policies Amid Ongoing Debate Over Son Preference Culture
Vietnam, which has been facing a serious issue of 'gender imbalance' due to a long-standing preference for sons resulting in more boys being born than girls, is reportedly considering a policy to provide cash or material incentives to families with only daughters. This is seen as an unprecedented policy aimed at tackling both low birth rates and gender imbalance simultaneously, and is interpreted as an attempt to fundamentally address the culture of son preference rather than simply boosting the birth rate.
This is a reference photo to aid understanding of the article and is unrelated to the main text. Pixabay
According to local media such as VN Express on July 13 (local time), Dao Hong Lan, Vietnam's Minister of Health, announced at the World Population Day ceremony held in Hanoi on July 11 that "the government has begun developing new policies to proactively address population issues at both regional and national levels."
The main measures proposed by the Ministry of Health include providing child-rearing subsidies and support for pre- and post-natal health check-up costs, housing subsidies for families with children, and special incentives for families with only daughters. Such policies are causing significant debate in Vietnamese society, where the culture of preferring sons remains deeply rooted.
Local media reported that the Ministry of Health is actively considering direct child-rearing support for families with only daughters and imposing fines of up to 100 million dong (approximately 3.8 million won) for illegal gender determination procedures. The current maximum fine is 30 million dong, but the government plans to raise this limit significantly.
In fact, last year, Vietnam's total fertility rate fell to 1.91 children per woman, dropping below the replacement level of 2.1 for the first time. At the same time, the birth sex ratio reached 111.4 boys per 100 girls, far exceeding the natural ratio of 105:100, indicating that the preference for boys persists. The Vietnamese government has implemented policies to balance the sex ratio for several years, but the culture of son preference remains deeply entrenched in local communities.
The Ministry of Health also noted that in the Central Highlands and northern mountainous regions, cases of teenage pregnancy, early marriage, and consanguineous marriage remain frequent, accounting for 21.9% of all births. This is interpreted as a result of both lack of education and the vulnerability of local healthcare infrastructure. Population aging is also a concern. Although average life expectancy is rising, the average healthy life expectancy is only 65 years, and a significant portion of the elderly population lives with chronic diseases.
Accordingly, the Vietnamese government has announced plans to establish a comprehensive national health and population plan for the period from 2026 to 2035. The plan will include mandatory pre-marital health check-ups, support for the treatment of congenital diseases, strengthening elderly care systems, and providing tuition reductions and scholarships for students majoring in geriatric medicine.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
