Vietnam Proposes Subsidies for Families with Two Daughters

Vietnam's Ministry of Health has drafted a circular offering financial incentives to families that raise two daughters. The proposal, currently open for public comment, aims to address the country's persistent gender‑ratio imbalance – still above 111 boys per 100 girls – and to encourage higher birth rates amid a falling fertility trend.

The draft allows local authorities to provide measures such as tuition waivers, reduced health‑insurance premiums, school‑milk programmes, economic‑development support for women and public recognition of exemplar families. Priority would be given to poor, ethnic‑minority, mountainous, coastal or border communities. Communes that embed gender‑equality commitments into local conventions and health facilities that actively prevent fetal‑sex selection could also receive financial or in‑kind rewards.

Officials cite projected surpluses of up to 1.5 million men aged 15‑49 by 2034 if the current sex‑ratio persists. The incentives are part of a broader shift toward pro‑natalist policies intended to curb an aging population and a shrinking workforce. The draft remains under review and has not yet been enacted.