Vietnam faces risk of having "excess" of 2.5 million men. The information was released at a recent seminar on "Solving the issue of sex selection at birth", organized by the General Department of Population and Family Planning (Ministry of Health), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Norwegian Embassy.

According to information published at the seminar, it is forecast that by 2034, Vietnam will face the risk of having an "excess" of 1.5 million males aged 15 - 49; and by 2059 this figure will be 2.5 million men (equivalent to 9.5% of the male population) if Vietnam's sex ratio at birth does not decrease.

Specifically, the 2019 Population and Housing Census showed that an estimated 45,900 girls are not born in Vietnam every year due to sex selection before birth on the basis of gender stereotypes. Thus, 45,900 children were not born because of their sex.

In 2019, Vietnam's sex ratio at birth was 111.5 boys per 100 girls, while the "natural" sex ratio at birth is between 105-106 boys per 100 girls.

Mr. Pham Vu Hoang, Deputy Director of the General Department of Population and Family Planning, said: "If the sex imbalance at birth in Vietnam is prolonged and uncontrolled, it can lead to unpredictable consequences in terms of society, economy, even political security... affecting the sustainable development of the country.”

Ms. Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative, said: "I wish there was more participation of men in ending sex selection at birth. Women are often under a lot of pressure from their families to give birth to a boy.”

Vietnam has implemented many programs to control the gender imbalance in recent years, but the rate is still high, the third highest in Asia.

Thanh Mai

Which provinces have the highest birth rate in Vietnam?

Vietnam currently has 33 provinces with high birth rates, including many economically developed localities.