Vietnam has put an end to a decade-long policy of limiting families to having no more than two children.
Amid the declining birth rate, the National Assembly Standing Committee in Hanoi passed a new regulation, which will allow couples to have as many children as they want.
The previous law allowed only one or two children per family, except in special cases.
What were the punishment for breaking the previous rule?
In practice, the rule was rarely enforced for non-Party members, and for those who broke the law, the penalty could be a warning, reduced bonus or dismissal from their position.
The restriction was initially introduced in 1988, when the total fertility rate was over four births per woman, and the main aim was to motivate women to spend more time working and less time on children.
The nations' birth rate dropped to a record low in December, with the total fertility rate falling to 1.91 children per woman.
Unlik other countries in Asia such as Japan, Singapore and South Korea with low infertility, Vietnam is still a developing country.
Last year, the health ministry proposed altering the law to allow each couple and parent to decide how many children they can have, and the interval between births.
According to the UN Population Fund, "Vietnam is in the period of population ageing," and the process is rapidly increasing.
Notably, Vietnam is also dealing with an unbalanced gender ratio, as country has the long-standing preferences for sons.
Hence, doctors are not allowed to inform baby's sex before birth and sex-selective abortions are banned.
