Illustrative image. (Source: VNA) Hanoi’s birth rate this year is likely to stand at 15.8 per 1,000 members of the population, a sharp drop from 19.36 in 2012 and meeting the city’s yearly target, according to the municipal Steering Committee for Population and Family Planning.
From 2011-2015, about 120,000 children were born each year. Gender imbalance at birth has also declined with an expected 114.5 boys per 100 girls in 2015 from 117 boys per 100 girls in 2010, revealed the committee.
The committee attributed the achievements to the great attention of the Party as well as close coordination among sectors and agencies. During the period, the city spent 191 billion VND (8.5 million USD) on population and family planning activities.
However, it also pointed to difficulties facing the city, including a large population and extensive geography, which led to a high birth rate in 18 districts and towns as well as unstable birth rate reduction.
From 2016-2020, the capital aims to maintain reasonably low birth rates, enhance population quality, improve reproductive health, and a stablise population structure.
Specifically, the city will strive for a natural population rise of 12.5 per thousand and a birth rate reduction of 0.1 per thousand annually. Meanwhile, the city will work to ensure gender balance at birth with a maximum of 115 boys per 100 girls.-VNA
