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

Vietnam's Health Ministry draft plan aims to cut the sex ratio at birth to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030 and to the natural level of about 106 by 2035, with measures including stricter enforcement of bans on fetal sex selection and monitoring of online ads. The ratio was 112.2 in 2016, peaked at 114.8 in 2018, and eased to 110 in 2025.

Vietnam's Ministry of Health has released a draft plan aiming to restore the natural sex ratio at birth by 2035. The plan, published on Saturday for consultation, targets reducing the ratio to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030 and to the natural level of about 106 by 2035. The draft notes the ratio stood at 112.2 in 2016, peaked at 114.8 in 2018, and eased to 110 in 2025. Proposed measures include stricter enforcement of laws banning fetal sex selection, stronger inspections of medical facilities, and greater monitoring of online advertising for sex-selection services. The ministry attributes the imbalance to a persistent preference for sons, pressure to produce male heirs, shrinking family sizes, and easier access to prenatal sex-identification technologies. The draft warns that a prolonged surplus of men could create long-term demographic and social pressures, including difficulties in the marriage market, rising gender inequality, gender-based violence, and trafficking in women and girls.