Vietnam aims to reduce its sex ratio at birth to the natural level of about 106 boys for every 100 girls by 2035, according to a draft plan from the Ministry of Health that proposes stronger action against sex-selection services and efforts to challenge long-standing preferences for sons.
The draft plan, released on Saturday for consultation and reviewed by Reuters, sets an interim target of reducing the ratio to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030 before reaching the natural level by 2035.
Vietnam has recorded one of the highest imbalances in the sex ratio at birth in Asia for years. According to the draft, the ratio stood at 112.2 boys per 100 girls in 2016 and climbed to a peak of 114.8 in 2018. It subsequently eased to 110 in 2025, but remained above the natural level identified in the government’s proposed plan.
The Ministry of Health has outlined a series of measures aimed at addressing the factors contributing to the imbalance. These include stricter enforcement of laws banning fetal sex selection, stronger inspections of medical facilities and greater monitoring of online advertising for sex-selection services.
Public campaigns are also proposed as part of the effort, reflecting the government’s focus on changing attitudes that have contributed to the preference for male children. The ministry attributed 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 proposed measures seek to address both the availability of sex-selection services and the social attitudes that sustain demand for them. By combining enforcement with public campaigns, the draft plan envisages tackling the issue through restrictions on practices that enable sex selection as well as efforts to challenge the preference for boys.
The Ministry of Health has also warned that a prolonged surplus of men could generate demographic and social pressures over the longer term. The draft paper identified potential difficulties in the marriage market, rising gender inequality and gender-based violence among the possible consequences.
It also warned of risks involving trafficking in women and girls, alongside broader challenges to social stability. The concerns reflect the potential consequences of a sustained imbalance in the number of boys and girls entering the population.
Vietnam’s proposed targets therefore seek not only to reduce the immediate gap in the sex ratio at birth but to address the social and demographic pressures that could result if the imbalance persists. The government’s goal is to bring the ratio below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030 and to about 106 boys per 100 girls by 2035, the level described in the draft as natural.
The plan remains a draft and was released for consultation on Saturday. Its proposed measures indicate an effort by the Ministry of Health to combine tighter oversight of medical and online services with public campaigns aimed at changing long-standing preferences for sons.
