It could be a thorny issue for Ho Chi Minh City to encourage its people to have more babies to hamper the falling birth rate, which fell from 1.39 in 2022 to 1.32 in 2023, with more young married couples opting to stop at one child and a considerable number of young people’s attitude toward marriage changing.
Finance is one of the main reasons for only-child families, but even high-income earners shared that they did plan to have a second baby.
N.T.T.L, aged 39 and residing in Phu Nhuan District, said she and her husband work at foreign firms with their total incomes exceeding VND100 million (US$4,110) per month, but they chose to stick at having only one child.
L. cited their heavy workload and efforts to raise one child as the reason for their decision.
As the couple normally spend most of the time at work, they have to ask the paternal grandmother to pick up her 11-year-old daughter from school or take care of the girl after school or during their overseas business trips.
Also having financial stability and support from grandparents like the family of L., N.V.K and his wife are determined to forego a second birth.
“Much responsibility is needed to raise a kid to become a good citizen and fulfill their potential”, K. said and added that his wife is scared to have a second baby.
Many other married couples elaborated that childcare costs stopped them from having another baby.
Heavy workload and workplace pressure were also cited as reasons why a certain number of young couples inclined toward one-child families.
Commenting on the low birth rate, Pham Chanh Trung, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Population and Family Planning, said growing life pressure and people’s changing mindset toward life could result in a declining birth rate.
The economic slowdown over the past year, an intense competition to get decent jobs, young people’s tendency to late marriage, and infertility are also the reasons, Trung continued.
Authorities in the city are actively working to raise public awareness about the current low birth rate, which could lead to population aging and labor shortfall, and work out policies to encourage city dwellers to have more children, Trung said.
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