Vietnam Targets 106 Boys per 100 Girls by 2035 as Birth Sex Imbalance Levels Off
Updated
Updated · VietNamNet · Aug 17
Vietnam Targets 106 Boys per 100 Girls by 2035 as Birth Sex Imbalance Levels Off
3 articles · Updated · VietNamNet · Aug 17
Summary
Vietnam’s Health Ministry said the birth sex ratio imbalance has begun to level off, making a return to the natural range by 2035 achievable if controls are sustained.
The draft 2026-2035 plan keeps the target at 106 boys per 100 girls, while pairing tougher inspections and enforcement with support for families with only daughters and stronger old-age security.
More than 50 violations have been handled over the past decade, but direct detection at clinics remains rare because fetal sex is often disclosed verbally or through coded signals.
son preference still drives the imbalance, with local reports citing pressure to continue family lines, perform ancestral worship and secure care in old age as families have fewer children.
If the gap persists, Vietnam risks a surplus of marriage-age men, deeper gender inequality, and higher exposure to trafficking and gender-based violence.