The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has submitted a draft proposal to the prime minister seeking approval for a new scheme to address the imbalance in the sex ratio at birth from 2026 to 2035.
According to the ministry, efforts under the 2016-2025 scheme have gradually contained the rise in the ratio, which declined from 112.2 boys per 100 girls in 2016 to 110 boys per 100 girls in 2025.
Despite the improvement, the ratio remains significantly higher than the natural level. The ministry warned that without continued and timely intervention, the imbalance could begin to widen again.
In the long term, the ministry said, a skewed sex ratio at birth could lead to a surplus of men and a shortage of women of marriageable age, disrupting the population structure and affecting social stability and the labour market.
It could also increase the risks of gender inequality, gender-based violence, trafficking of women and girls, and other issues affecting social security and public order.
Under the proposed scheme, the ministry aims to reduce the ratio to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030.
For the 2031-2035 period, the target is to bring the ratio back to the natural balance, reaching 106 boys per 100 girls by 2035.