At the end of last year, HCM City authorities approved a support level of VND 3 million for women with two children. The city’s total fertility rate then stood at 1.39 children per woman; after the merger, it increased to 1.43, still below the replacement rate of 2.1.
Under the municipal people’s committee’s proposal, communes that maintain a 60 per cent rate of couples having two children for three consecutive years would receive a certificate of merit from the city chairman, along with VND 30 million in support.
Communes securing a 60 per cent rate of couples having two children for five straight years would be eligible for a city chairman’s certificate of merit and VND 60 million in support.
HCM City will provide VND 2 million for prenatal and newborn screening, along with additional support, to pregnant women and infants from low-income or near-poor households, social welfare groups, and those residing in Thanh An Island and Con Dao.
In 2024, HCM City’s total fertility rate was just 1.39 children per woman, well below the national replacement level of 2-2.1. If this persists, it could accelerate population ageing, cause labour shortages, and strain social security systems.
HCM City People’s Committee claim increasing the allowance to VND 5 million was necessary to encourage women to have two children at an optimal age, reducing health risks and increasing the population.
