Vietnam has made a number of achievements after 12 years of implementing the Population Ordinance including reducing the birth rate to 17.2 (per 1,000 people) from 19.9 in 1999, said a senior National Assembly official.

The country’s population quality has also been improved, stated Head of NA Committee for Social Affairs Truong Thi Mai at a conference held in Hanoi on June 4 to discuss the role of NA deputies in building laws and policies regarding population and development.

Mai, however, pointed out that population strategies in Vietnam are facing a number of problems, including low birth rate in some localities, gender imbalance, aging population and the migration from rural areas to cities and industrial parks.

Statistics from some censuses show that the country’s birth rate has been decreased continuously, remaining below the fertility rate since 2000, she noted, adding that Vietnam has experienced an aging population since 2011 as a result of reduction in both birth and death rates as well as an increase in longevity.

Vietnam has also become a country with a rapid aging speed as the ratio of elderly people reached 10.5 percent in 2013, she noted.

Meanwhile, Ritsu Nacken, Acting Representative of the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, said it’s high time for Vietnam to build a socio-economic population strategy for the future.

The UNFPA is ready to assist Vietnam through providing technical support and international experience regarding population policies, she said.

At the conference, participants discussed the latest research announcements on emerging population problems, including birth and aging rates. The discussion outcomes are expected to provide NA deputies with references to support their policy drafts.-VNA