Hanoi authorities are studying new policies to encourage earlier marriage and childbearing, as the capital grapples with falling birth rates and longer delays in starting families. According to Tuoi Tre, the proposals are part of broader social planning efforts aimed at addressing demographic challenges in large urban areas.
On January 19, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha signed Plan No. 28, outlining the implementation of population and development work in the capital in 2026.
City officials say Hanoi, like other major cities in Vietnam and across East Asia, is seeing a steady rise in the average age of marriage alongside a decline in fertility, driven largely by economic pressures. High housing costs, childcare expenses, career uncertainty and changing social attitudes are all contributing factors.
Recent demographic data highlight the scale of the challenge: Vietnam’s total fertility rate has fallen well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, dipping into the 1.9 range in recent years, with urban areas like Hanoi’s peers tracking even lower at around 1.67 children per woman in cities in 2024, and the average age at first marriage nationally has climbed into the late 20s, around 27–29 years for many adults. These trends underscore why officials are considering incentive measures to make marriage and childbearing more feasible for young couples.
Under the ideas being considered, support measures could include financial assistance, housing-related incentives or other forms of support for young couples, particularly those newly married. The focus, officials stressed, is on reducing the economic burden associated with marriage and raising children rather than placing pressure on personal choices.
While the proposals remain at the discussion stage, they reflect growing concern about the long-term implications of low fertility, including labour shortages, population ageing and strains on social welfare systems.
Vietnam’s national fertility rate has fallen close to replacement level, but urban centres such as Hanoi are already well below it, prompting local authorities to explore targeted responses tailored to city life.
