Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is drafting a new policy to combat the country’s widening gender imbalance by offering financial and social incentives to families with two daughters. The proposal, aimed at curbing a persistent preference for sons, would allow local authorities to provide tuition waivers, health insurance subsidies, and public recognition to qualifying families to help shift national demographics.
Proposed Incentives to Address Gender Imbalance
The Ministry of Health’s draft circular outlines a framework where provincial governments gain the flexibility to design support measures tailored to their specific demographic needs. By targeting families with two daughters—and extending these benefits to poor, ethnic minority, and border-area households—the government hopes to neutralize the economic perceived value of having a son.
Potential support mechanisms include:
- Educational relief: Tuition waivers or reductions for daughters.
- Healthcare support: Subsidies for student health insurance and school milk programs.
- Economic empowerment: Assistance for women participating in local business and economic development initiatives.
- Public recognition: Official honors for families who raise successful, well-educated daughters.
Did you know?
Local pilot programs are already seeing results. In Tay Ninh Province, authorities rewarded 448 villages with over VND 1.3 billion (USD 50,000) between 2023 and 2024 for successfully incorporating gender balance targets into their village conventions.
The “Marriage Squeeze” and Demographic Projections
The urgency of this policy stems from a significant shift in Vietnam’s birth sex ratio. While the natural biological range is 104 to 106 boys for every 100 girls, Vietnam’s average reached 111.4 in 2024, according to Ministry of Health data. In some northern provinces, that figure has climbed toward 120.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned that these figures create a looming “marriage squeeze.” As the current surplus of men—estimated at 415,200 for the 20-to-39 age group in 2024—grows, the social consequences become more severe. Projections indicate a shortage of roughly 1.3 million women of marriageable age by 2049, a trend health officials warn will lead to increased human trafficking, gender-based violence, and social instability.
Local Implementation and Future Targets
Success to date has been localized. Beyond Tay Ninh, Hung Yen Province has publicly honored over 100 families for their daughters’ academic achievements, while Hai Phong has provided cash awards of VND 5 million (USD 190) to families with high-achieving daughters. These pilot initiatives aim to dismantle the cultural preference for sons at the community level.
The government has set ambitious, albeit difficult, targets. Official goals aim to reduce the birth sex ratio to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030, and further to 107 by 2035. Progress remains slow; the ratio dropped only 0.7 percentage points between 2017 and 2024, illustrating the deep-seated nature of the challenge.
Pro Tip:
When evaluating local policy effectiveness, look for the integration of “village conventions.” Communes that formally reject prenatal sex selection and son preference in their written regulations are currently the primary recipients of government-backed rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Vietnam’s sex ratio at birth considered imbalanced?
A natural ratio is 104–106 boys per 100 girls. Vietnam has exceeded this since the early 2000s, reaching 111.4 in 2024, largely due to a cultural preference for sons and prenatal sex selection.
What is a “marriage squeeze”?
It is a demographic phenomenon where the number of men significantly outweighs the number of women, making it difficult for men to find partners and leading to delayed marriages or lifelong bachelorhood.
How does the government plan to fund these incentives?
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