Vietnam to have surplus of 1.38 million men by 2026

The sex ratio at birth in Vietnam has increased in both urban and rural areas, which will lead to a surplus of approximately 1.38 million men by 2026, according to Doctor Mai Xuan Phuong, deputy director of the Department of Communication and Education under the Health Ministry.

The growing sex imbalance at birth is forecast to continue to increase in the coming years. (Illustrative image/VNA)
The growing sex imbalance at birth is forecast to continue to increase in the coming years. (Illustrative image/VNA)

The information was released at a seminar on gender imbalance at birth jointly held by the General Office for Population and Family Planning under the Ministry of Health, the Department of Health of Tra Vinh province and the Association of Tra Vinh Women on November 13.

Phuong noted that the growing gender imbalance at birth in recent years is forecast to continue to increase in the coming years.

The main causes of the gender imbalance at birth are due to the people’s preference for boys over girls, the abuse of scientific and technological advances to choose the gender of babies before birth, the pressure of population and birth reduction, and others.

The consequences of this situation will lead to an excess of men and shortage of women of marrying and childbearing age, causing inequality and gender violence while affecting the quality of life of individuals, families and society at large.

The health sector and political and social organisations in localities should strengthen communication work to raise people’s awareness about the consequences of preferringboys over girls and the selection of gender at birth in order to reduce gender imbalance, eliminate gender inequality and protect human rights.

According to the Tra Vinh Department of Health, the imbalance of births in Tra Vinh has tended to increase with 112.26 boys born for every 100 girls in 2019, the province therefore receiving encouragement to pay more attention to population and family planning work.