In its first round of review, Ho Chi Minh City has identified more than 3,000 women eligible for a 3 million VND (approximately 120 USD) subsidy for giving birth to two children before the age of 35, in accordance with Resolution 40.

As part of this initial assessment, authorities in wards, communes, and townships across the city compiled a list of 3,291 women who meet the criteria - either by giving birth to two children before turning 35 or by belonging to specific vulnerable groups such as poor and near-poor households, those under social protection, or residents of island communes who gave birth between December 21, 2024 and April 15, 2025.

Under Resolution 40, women under 35 who give birth to two children, along with those in the aforementioned disadvantaged groups, are entitled to a one-time financial support of 3 million VND. In addition, pregnant women and newborns from these groups are eligible to receive another 2 million VND (about 80 USD) for prenatal and newborn screening services.

Pham Chanh Trung, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Population Department, stated that the municipal Department of Health is currently gathering feedback from relevant agencies to issue specific implementation guidelines for Resolution 40. These guidelines will clarify the administrative procedures that beneficiaries must complete to access the support.

This new policy comes as a response to Ho Chi Minh City's record-low fertility rate - only 1.39 children per woman in 2024 - well below the national replacement fertility rate of 2 to 2.1. If this trend continues, it could accelerate population aging, create labor shortages, and place strain on the city’s social welfare systems. Financial incentives are therefore being introduced to encourage childbirth and help stabilize the city's population in the long term.

Phuong Thuy