Experts say that Vietnamese reproductive behavior has shifted from a natural instinct to a carefully calculated decision, weighing the costs and benefits of raising children.

As the cost of parenting rises while its perceived benefits decline, more people are choosing to have fewer or no children.

Deciding to have children is now based on perceived value

A study on factors affecting birth rate realization in low-fertility provinces, published in August 2024 by Associate Professor Nguyen Duc Vinh, director of the Institute of Sociology, found that most families today prefer two children or fewer. However, the actual number of children they end up having is often lower than their initial expectations.

A recent survey of 1,200 women across four low-birth-rate provinces in southern Vietnam - Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Soc Trang, and Ca Mau - showed that while most respondents desired two children, their actual planned fertility rate was lower. The final number of children they actually have is expected to be even lower.

Why do families hesitate to have more children?

Professor Vinh explains that the decision to have children is influenced by the perceived value of children to parents.

Traditionally, children provided economic benefits (labor and elderly care), social status, and emotional fulfillment. However, modernization has significantly diminished these values, leading to declining birth rates.

Researchers classify four primary benefits of having children in Vietnam and across Asia:

Household labor support

Elderly care and financial support for aging parents

Maintaining family lineage and inheritance

Strengthening family bonds and happiness

However, as economic development advances, these values diminish in importance, influencing couples' decisions to have fewer children.

Emotional stress outweighs financial costs for many parents

Speaking to VietNamNet, Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu, former director of the Institute for Population and Social Issues (National Economics University), said that Vietnam’s prime reproductive-age population (under 35 years old) consists mainly of people born after the country’s economic reforms (Doi Moi, post-1986).

These individuals grew up under strict family planning policies and in an era of rapid globalization and digitalization, leading to a weaker desire to have many children.

"One of the biggest societal shifts in Vietnam is that childbirth has transformed from a natural instinct to a well-calculated decision based on costs and benefits," Professor Cu explained.

Parents today face both financial and emotional costs when considering childbirth.

Financial costs: A 2019 survey in southern Vietnam, conducted by Professor Cu and colleagues, found that 91% of respondents considered the cost of raising children “high” or “very high.” Expenses include housing, education, healthcare, and daily living costs.

Emotional stress: Even more significantly, 85% of respondents cited mental and emotional burdens as a major deterrent to having more children.

"From pregnancy, parents worry about birth defects. After birth, they stress over the child's health, education, behavior, and future career. As children grow, parents worry about unemployment, financial failure, and social risks. The emotional burden often outweighs financial concerns," Professor Cu stated.

Higher education and financial status lead to lower birth rates

Statistical data from the General Statistics Office (now the Bureau of Statistics) shows a clear correlation between income, education, and fertility rates:

Wealthier households have fewer children: The average number of children per woman is 2.0 in the highest income group, compared to 2.4 in the lowest income group.

Higher education correlates with lower fertility: Women with less than a primary school education have an average of 2.35 children, whereas those with higher education (above high school level) have only 1.98 children.

This trend suggests that wealthier and more educated individuals prioritize quality over quantity, investing more in education, extracurricular activities, and international opportunities for their children rather than having larger families.

Professor Cu explains that economic benefits from children have declined as pension systems improve and elderly parents become more financially independent. Additionally, for many families, emotional satisfaction can be achieved with just one or two children.

"When we analyze these trends, it's clear that the rising costs and declining benefits of parenting are leading many people to have fewer children - or none at all," he concluded.

Vo Thu