Vietnam has scrapped a long-standing policy of limiting families to two children, state media said on Wednesday, as the communist-run country contends with a declining birth rate.

The decision on the number of children is now a decision for each individual couple, Vietnam News Agency said.

The country has experienced "historically" low birth rates during the last three years, with the total fertility rate dropping to just 1.91 children per woman last year, below replacement level, the ministry of health said this year.

The decline in birth rates was from 2.11 children per woman in 2021, down to 2.01 in 2022 and 1.96 in 2023.

Tran Minh Huong, a 22-year-old office worker, said the government regulation mattered little to her as she had no plans to have children.

"Even though I am an Asian, with social norms that say women need to get married and have kids, it's too costly to raise a child." (AFP)