Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) According to the general department of Population and Family Planning under theMinistry of Health, fertility rates increased again in 2020, exceedingreplacement fertility in many regions.
Specifically, the rate in rural areas increased from 2.11 children per motherin 2010 to 2.29 children per mother in 2020. In addition, rates in the RedRiver Delta increased from 2.04 children per mother in 2010 to 2.34 children permother in 2020.
HCM City, a locality with the lowest fertility rate in the country, had afertility rate of 1.35 in 2017, but by 2021, it reached the rate of 1.48children per mother.
The city plans to promote fertility to reach 1.6 children per woman by 2030.
Tu said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, couples had more time for each otherdue to social distancing measures, resulting in increased birth rates.
The fertility rate only exceeded the total replacement birth rate in the shortterm, he said, adding that a short-term increase in fertility rate was not amatter of concern.
“In many countries with low fertility rates and unsuccessful reproductivepromotion, short-term population growth is not a concern,” he said.
However, Vietnam still aims to maintain replacement fertility to ensure eachfamily has two children.
According to a hospital survey, about 200,000-250,000 abortions were recordedyearly, Tu said, adding that the number was still much lower than the reality.
As the age of first marriage increases and the age of first sex decreases, asreported recently, the risk of abortion would increase, he said.
Surveys show that unintended pregnancies account for more thanhalf of abortions./.
VNA
