HCMC – Party members who have a third child will not face penalties, a major shift in the country’s population control policy.

The Party Central Committee's (PCC) Office announced a latest Politburo directive which assigns the Central Inspection Commission to review and propose amending regulations of the PCC, the Politburo, and the Secretariat related to violations of the population control policy. The Central Inspection Commission will revise the 2022 guideline to remove disciplinary measures against Party members having a third child or more. This adjustment aligns with updated regulations. However, the cases that have already been disciplined for having a third child will not be reversed retroactively. The Party committees of the National Assembly and the Government are tasked with expediting the drafting of the Population Law and sending it to the National Assembly this year. In the short term, the Politburo has called for a swift review and revision of legal documents related to birth restrictions, with completion required within the first quarter of this year. The policy shift comes as Vietnam is facing demographic challenges, including an aging population and a fast decline in birth rate. The Government is also working to enhance demographic tracking by integrating population data with the national citizen database to assess population trends more accurately. The Politburo has directed authorities to use this real-time demographic data to shape labor, social welfare, and economic policies.