The life expectancy of Vietnamese people increased from 65.5 years in 1993 to 74.5 years last year, higher than that in many countries with the same per capita income, according to the Vietnamese health minister. 

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan released the information at a meeting jointly held by the health ministry and the United Nations Population Fund Agency (UNFPA) in Hanoi last Thursday to celebrate the World Population Day (July 11) and mark the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP) reported.

After 30 years of implementing the Action Program of the ICDP, Vietnam has gained great achievements in population control and human development, Minister Lan told the meeting. 

Vietnam has successfully put its rapid population growth under control, reducing the annual population growth rate to 1.14 percent in 2009-19 from 1.7 percent in 1989-99.  

Over the past 30 years, the maternal mortality rate has decreased by sixfold to about 40 per 100,000 live births in recent years from 233 per 100,000 live births in 1990. 

The fatality rates among children under one year of age have also dropped by nearly four times, to 12.1 per 1,000 live births in 2020 from 43.3 per 1,000 live births in 1993.

Vietnam, whose population hit 100 million people last year, has reached replacement fertility since 2006 and the total fertility rate has been maintained at 2-2.1 children per woman throughout the past many years.

In addition, the country’s human development index surged rapidly and reached the world’s average level while the stature and physical strength of Vietnamese people improved significantly. 

As a result, life expectancy in Vietnam has increased by nine years, rising from 65.5 years in 1993 to 74.5 years in 2023, which is higher than many countries with similar per capita income, Minister Lan stated.

Moreover, the population structure is shifting positively toward a high spike in the working-age population, to 67.5 percent in 2023 from 56.1 percent in 1989.

With such a strong shift, Vietnam entered the ‘golden population’ period in 2007 with a robust labor force.

In addition, the country's population distribution has become more balanced, with the proportion of the urban population rising to 38.1 percent in 2023 from 20 percent in 1993.

However, Vietnam has still faced many difficulties and challenges that are directly affecting life, society, and sustainable development in the present and future, VGP cited Minister Lan as saying.

One of these problems is the risk of not achieving the goal of maintaining replacement fertility rates, as a trend of low fertility has recently emerged on a national scale.

Another concern is Vietnam's rapid population aging rate, where individuals aged 60 and above accounted for nearly 12 percent of the total population in 2019, a figure projected to exceed 25 percent by 2050 according to the UNFPA, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported.

The risks of gender imbalance, child marriage, and inbreeding have not decreased as anticipated, and adolescent pregnancy rates remain high, particularly in northern mountainous areas and the Central Highlands region.

Minister Lan noted that people in remote localities and ethnic minority areas continue to experience limitations in stature, physical strength, and quality of life compared to those in urban and delta areas.

To address these challenges, the National Steering Committee on Population and Development, along with the Ministry of Health, has called upon all relevant agencies and local authorities to rigorously implement directives and guidelines.

They underlined the need for adequate staffing and budget allocations to achieve population control and human development goals effectively.

During the meeting, Pauline Fatima Tamesis, UN resident coordinator in Vietnam, urged decisive and prompt action to ensure that all women have access to essential services and support during pregnancy and childbirth.

Investing in reproductive and sexual health services is crucial in combating poverty and inequality, VGP reported.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!