Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s population has eclipsed the 100 million mark, at 101.6 million in 2025, according to the 2025 Population Data Sheet released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
While the milestone reflects the country’s demographic strength, it also signals the beginning of a new phase marked by persistently low fertility and rapid population ageing.
Citing the ESCAP report, the Department of Population under the Ministry of Health said Vietnam is among the fastest countries in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of demographic transition. Although its population continues to grow at a rate above the regional average, growth has slowed significantly compared with previous decades.
ESCAP estimates Vietnam’s total fertility rate at 1.9 children per woman in 2025, below the replacement level of 2.1. The National Statistics Office reports a comparable figure of 1.93, confirming that the country has entered the group of low-fertility nations.
At the same time, life expectancy has risen to about 74.9 years, among the highest for middle-income countries. Vietnam’s median age now stands at around 33.4 years, indicating that while the country still enjoys a relatively young population structure, the pace of ageing is accelerating faster than previously projected. People aged 65 and above account for approximately 9.5% of the population, a proportion expected to increase rapidly in the coming decades as larger generations reach retirement age.
Vietnam remains in the final stage of its “golden population” period, during which the working-age population significantly outnumbers dependents. Experts view this as a critical opportunity to sustain economic growth, improve labour productivity and strengthen long-term development capacity. However, declining fertility combined with rising longevity is expected to create challenges similar to those already faced by several East Asian economies, including labour shortages in certain sectors, growing demand for elderly care, and mounting pressure on pension and social security systems.
According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam’s fertility rate has fallen from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 1.91 in 2024, prompting the Government and relevant ministries to introduce measures aimed at encouraging childbirth and maintaining a balanced population structure.
Surpassing the 100-million mark is an important national milestone, but Vietnam’s long-term success will depend less on population size than on the quality of its human resources and its ability to adapt to an ageing society through investment in education, healthcare and workforce development.
The ESCAP report also highlights broader demographic shifts across the Asia-Pacific region. The region’s population is estimated at 4.816 billion in 2025, but annual growth has slowed to just 0.48%, a sharp contrast to the rapid expansion seen in the second half of the 20th century.
The region is undergoing one of the most profound demographic transitions in modern history. Population growth is slowing, fertility rates are falling below replacement level, labour forces are approaching their peak, and population ageing is accelerating. ESCAP projects the region’s population will reach around 5.16 billion by 2050 before gradually stabilising.
The report notes that 88% of the region’s population now lives in countries with fertility rates below replacement level, compared with only about half in 1990. East and Northeast Asia remain among the world’s lowest-fertility regions, while South Asia and the Pacific are also experiencing sustained declines. Experts attribute these trends to urbanisation, greater female participation in the workforce, rising child-rearing costs, delayed marriage and changing family preferences.
According to ESCAP, these demographic shifts will reshape economic growth, labour markets, social protection systems and living standards across the Asia-Pacific throughout the remainder of the 21st century./.
