Vietnam targets natural birth sex ratio by 2035 with crackdown on fetal sex selection

Vietnam's Ministry of Health has released a draft plan aiming to achieve a natural sex ratio at birth of 106 boys per 100 girls by 2035. The plan, released for consultation on Saturday, targets a reduction to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030. Vietnam's sex ratio at birth has been among Asia's highest, peaking at 114.8 boys per 100 girls in 2018 and easing to 110 in 2025.

• Proposed measures include stricter enforcement of laws against fetal sex selection, increased inspections of medical facilities, and monitoring of online advertising for sex-selection services.
• The ministry attributes the imbalance to a persistent preference for sons, pressure for male heirs, smaller family sizes, and accessible prenatal sex-identification technologies.
• The draft warns that a prolonged surplus of men could lead to difficulties in the marriage market, increased gender inequality, gender-based violence, trafficking in women and girls, and broader social instability.