Vietnam, with an average age of 32.5 and 100 million people, is also a 'low birth rate warning'

[Anchor]
Vietnam, which boasts a young population distribution of 32.5 years old on average and a population of 100 million, has also recently been plagued by population problems.

Since 2020, the total fertility rate has rapidly decreased, raising concerns about aging and population decline.

Reporter Kim Hye-in heard the thoughts of Vietnamese young people on marriage and childbirth.

[Reporter]
Vietnam surpasses 100 million people in 2023,

It is a country with an average age of 32.5 years and is expected to have a rich labor force and economic development.

However, in recent years, young people have become a social problem as they get married and give birth later than before.

Vietnam's total fertility rate fell to an all-time low of 1.91 but has been on a steady decline since 2020,
There is even a forecast that
will decrease to 70 million by 2100.

What do young Vietnamese think?

[Jiang / 23-year-old office worker Hanoi, Vietnam: I'm planning to get married later and I'm not getting married early. Because I want to improve myself and experience many things before marriage.]

[Huen / Office worker Hanoi, Vietnam: Young people seem to have changed their minds these days. I used to think that I should get married at this age and start a new family, but now I think there are many people around me who think about getting married late.]

Analysts say that the economic background of young people's thoughts is large.

The majority of Vietnamese workers live on an average monthly income of about 7 million to 10 million dong, but it is difficult to cover both child support and living expenses.

Because of this, young people are giving up marriage itself or young couples are postponing childbirth,

The average fertility rate in the southern Mekong River basin, where actual income is known to be relatively low, is 1.5 people, which is on the decline faster than in other regions.

In addition, the burden of career breaks has increased as women's academic background and social advancement has become more active.

[Hoban Ngyan / Vietnam] I think the reason why young people don't want to get married at the moment is the financial burden, the desire to focus on their personal careers, the tendency to like freedom, and the feeling that marriage is not necessary as it used to be. I'm thinking of getting married in the future and I'm currently working on that plan.]

In order to solve the low birth rate problem, the Vietnamese government has come up with various measures such as "a campaign to encourage childbirth" and "improve the system for work-family balance," but it remains to be seen whether it will be an effective solution.

I'm Kim Hye-in from YTN World in Hanoi, Vietnam.