Millions of Vietnamese men could be wifeless by 2050

By Bui Hong Nhung, Le Phuong June 24, 2016 | 02:54 am PT

It is expected that by 2050, from 2.3 to 4.3 million Vietnamese men will be unable to find wives due to the current rate of gender imbalance.

Hanoi records rising gender imbalance as parents opt for boys

Data from the Directorate of Population and Family Planning said that the gender imbalance rate in Vietnam is about 112.8 boys per 100 girls.

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Vietnam is facing a growing gender imbalance. Illustrative photo by VnExpress/Le Phuong

If the rate isn’t tamed, men will outnumber women by 10 percent in thirty years time, said Nguyen Van Tan, deputy director of the directorate.

Tan said that gender prejudice in Vietnam, where boys are generally preferred to girls, is the main reason for the high gender imbalance. With the development of technology, the problem appears to be getting worse.

“Modern technology makes it easier for parents to make a decision on gender despite this being prohibited by Vietnamese law,” said Tan

Many experts said that gender imbalance can cause social disorder like child marriage, women trafficking and prostitution, as well as violent crimes.

Ritsu Nacken, a representative of the United Nations Population Fund, said at a workshop last year that the problem can’t be solved by prohibiting fetal sex selection services. Vietnam needs to call on all authorities, families and schools to raise people’s awareness about gender equality.

The representative emphasized that Vietnam should improve its legal framework for gender equality as laws and policies can change the way people think.

Last year, Vietnam had a population of 92 million, with the gender imbalance rate standing at 113/100, according to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien.