An increasing number of young couples in Ho Chi Minh City are showing greater reluctance toward marriage and starting families, a local official said on Monday.

This trend reflects a growing shift in societal attitudes and priorities among the city's younger generation.

Pham Chanh Trung, head of the municipal Department of Population and Family Planning, said the fertility rate in Ho Chi Minh City was 1.32 children per woman in 2023, much lower than that in other localities nationwide.

The city set a target to reach a fertility rate of 1.36 children per woman this year.

The Department of Population and Family Planning is still collecting and analyzing data but the rate was forecast to inch up slightly over last year.

There are many reasons behind the hesitation to get married and have children, particularly when it comes to having a second child.

The most significant factors include economic pressure, intense competition in the workplace, and couples’ desire to provide the best possible care for their children.

Many couples plan to have fewer children to focus on studying and careers.

Ho Chi Minh City is currently among the 21 cities and provinces with the lowest fertility rates in Vietnam, which will create a significant impact on the city’s population structure in the future.

The proportion of working-age people will fall, while that of the elderly will increase, creating a shortage of laborers, decreasing productivity, and hindering socio-economic development.

The declining fertility rate and the rapidly aging population will place significant strain on the welfare system.

The young’s hesitancy to get married and have children is a great challenge, Trung affirmed.

To address this issue, it is essential to implement measures that shift the perceptions of city residents, alongside policies that support couples in bringing up children, he stated.

The local healthcare sector, in collaboration with relevant agencies, has initiated programs aimed at changing residents' attitudes and providing services to enhance population quality.

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