Vietnam Plans Natural Sex Ratio by 2035

Vietnam is moving to normalize its sex ratio at birth to about 106 boys for every 100 girls by 2035, with a more immediate target to reduce it to below 109 by 2030, according to a draft plan from the Ministry of Health. The plan calls for stronger enforcement of laws against fetal sex selection, tougher inspections of medical facilities, and closer monitoring of online advertising for sex-selection services, alongside public campaigns to shift cultural preferences. Officials say the skew has been among the highest in Asia due to long-standing son preferences, the legacy of past family-planning policies, and easier access to prenatal sex-identification technologies. The draft warns that a sustained excess of men could strain the marriage market, worsen gender inequality, and potentially fuel trafficking and broader social instability. The government frames these measures as a comprehensive demographic intervention to address a deep-rooted imbalance and its future social and economic consequences. Reuters and other outlets have reported on the plan as it moved through review and consultation.