Vietnamese woman has 2.1 children on average
HANOI - Each Vietnamese woman, has, on average, 2.1 children, compared with the figure of 2.7 in Southeast Asian countries, according to a survey by the country's General Statistics Office and the United Nations Population Fund issued Friday.
By April 1, the average number of births a Vietnamese woman in urban areas has is 1.7, while that in rural areas is 2.3, the survey said, adding that the rate of local women with more than three children stood at 20.2 percent.
The survey also showed that the percentage of people using modern contraceptive methods increased to 65.7 percent, helping to reduce abortion rates.
Vietnam plans to pour some 3.5 trillion Vietnamese dong (221.5 million US dollars) into curbing population growth and improving population quality from 2006 to 2010. The money will be mainly used to ensure that each couple to have no more than two children so that the population will remain stable at around 88 million by 2010 at the latest, according to the country's Committee for Population, Family and Children.
Under a recent resolution of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country's population should grow gradually, and then remain stable at 115-120 million in mid-21st century. The resolution stresses that state cadres and party members must be good examples in following population policies and family planning, as well as persuading local people to do the same.
By early this year, Vietnam had a population of some 82.1 million, including over 41.7 million women.
Xinhuanet - December 2, 2005.
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