HANOI – Vietnam is taking significant steps to revise its long-standing family planning policies, potentially marking a major shift away from its two-child norm. The Politburo has called for an urgent review and amendment of legal documents concerning family size, with the goal of eliminating disciplinary measures against Party members who have three or more children.

This directive comes as part of a broader effort to address Vietnam's declining birth rate and ensure a sustainable population. The Office of the Party Central Committee recently issued a document outlining the Politburo’s opinions on revising Resolution No. 21/2017 regarding population work and amending related Party and State regulations.

Following a review of the implementation of Resolution No. 21 and existing regulations on population policy violations, the Politburo has instructed relevant bodies to expedite the legislative process. A key focus is the swift revision of legal documents concerning family size, with a target completion date within the first quarter of this year.

The Central Inspection Commission has been tasked with amending regulations regarding disciplinary actions for population policy violations. Crucially, they are directed to revise Guiding Document No. 05, dated November 22, 2022, to ensure that having a third child or more will no longer be subject to disciplinary action for Party members. However, this change will not retroactively overturn previous disciplinary actions. Currently, Party members exceeding the two-child limit face disciplinary measures, except under specific circumstances.

In parallel with these changes, the Politburo has emphasized the need for comprehensive population data management. The Party Committees of the Government and the Ministry of Public Security are charged with developing and integrating a unified national population database. This system will enable accurate assessment of demographic trends, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative indicators, to support evidence-based policymaking.

These moves signal a potential paradigm shift in Vietnam's population policy. The Ministry of Health had previously proposed eliminating outdated regulations on disciplinary actions for population control, beginning with penalties related to family size.

The draft Population Law, currently under development, reflects this changing approach. It proposes policies aimed at maintaining replacement-level fertility, addressing gender imbalance at birth, adapting to an aging population, promoting rational population distribution, improving population health, and integrating population factors into socio-economic development planning. The National Assembly is expected to review and approve the revised Population Law by 2025.

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