~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Vietnam shows marked improvement in human development indices

HANOI - Vietnam's population density at 252 persons per sq. Km in 2005, is double the rate in China which has the largest population in the world, a national seminar in Ha Noi noted. Vietnam is adding one million people each year to its population, the seminar organised by the State Committee for Population, Family and Children said.

Reports at the two-day event said Vietnam is the world's 14th most populous country and the third in southeast Asia, after Indonesia and the Philippines. It noted that the Human Development Index (HDI) of Vietnam has increased markedly, with improvement seen in all its components, which are per capita GDP, life span and education index. Vietnam's HDI went from 0.649 points in 1999 to 0.728 points in 2005. The number of poor people in the country has reduced considerably in recent years.

The country has applied many measures aimed at improving the quality of the population with promising initial results, including a programme on premarital health check-up and consultancy in 28 provinces and cities, and offering consultancy and information on reproductive health and family planning for adolescents and young people. The seminar will outline the orientation for enhancing population quality in 2006-10. It drew scientists, managers, domestic and foreign experts and representatives from 32 provinces and cities.

Press Trust of India - August 11, 2006.