Gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam must be rectified, or it will produce unpredictable consequences and threaten population stability and the sustainable development of the country, the Ministry of Health’s General Office for Population and Family Planning said. This was a reference to the fact that in Vietnam far more girls than boys are aborted.

Deputy director Pham Vu Hoang said the imbalance started in Vietnam in 2006 but has increased fast in both urban and rural areas.

According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, the country’s sex ratio at birth has reached 112 boys per 100 girls in 2021. Vietnam is among three countries with the highest rate of sex ratio imbalance, behind only China and India.

Hoang said there are many causes for the gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam. New techniques for sex selection have increased dramatically in recent times. Most people can access ultrasound and abortion services for the purpose of sex selection. Despite Government regulations prohibiting fetal sex determination and all forms of sex selection, it is still easy for mothers and fathers to obtain information about the sex of the fetus and then proceed to abort the foetus.