Socio-cultural factors influencing low fertility in the Southeast and the Mekong River Delta

Abstract

Based on data from a combined quantitative and qualitative survey on fertility in four provinces/cities - Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh city, Soc Trang, and Ca Mau, this article shows that shifts in perceptions and values regarding children, pressures from modern life and the role of women in society, along with inadequate familial and social supports, are primary factors contributing to delay or reduction in childbearing. Traditional norms, such as son preference, have markedly diminished in influence, whereas the emphasis on the quality of child-rearing over the quantity of children is on the rise. The analysis in the article not only emphasises the role of practical barriers but also shows the impact of the change in family values concerning the number of children and the trend of individualisation that sustains the current low fertility rates.