UN report warns of danger in hike in numbers of baby boys born in Viet Nam

The number of boys born in Viet Nam has spiked in recent years compared to girls, a new United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) study reported, warning of the risky consequences if the trend continues.

Viet Nam has experienced a rapid rise in the sex ratio at birth (SRB) from the normal levels of 106.2 male births per 100 female births in 2002 to 112.1 in 2008, according to the Recent Change in the Sex Ratio at Birth in Viet Nam report, which noted that at the current rate the SRB could pass the 115 mark within three years.

The UNFPA report spotlighted the steady increase in access to affordable sex-determination and sex-selection technology, allowing couples to decide on one or more sons.

The study forecasts that men of marriageable age born after 2005 will greatly outnumber women their age by 2035 if the SRB does not return to its normal level of 105 male births per 100 female births in the next two decades.

In response to a scarcity of women, pressure for them to marry at a younger age could increase, the demand for sex work could rise and trafficking networks may also expand, said the report, stressing that examples of gender-based violence and human trafficking have already been observed in Viet Nam.

“The consequences of a significant imbalance between men and women should be taken into account in all related policy decisions, including further enforcement of the regulations governing sex-selection services in the country,” said UNFPA Representative Bruce Campbell.