Thanks to positive population policies, the population growth rate reduced and the population structure saw important changes.

The population in the working age increased from 52.9% to 64.6% in the same period, thus bringing the country's population into the period of "golden population structure" with plentiful labour resources.

According to Nguyen Trong Phu, Director of the Information Technology Centre under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalid and Social Affairs, the number of successful job seekers in recent years increased in line with the increase of people entering the working age. Besides, the people's living conditions and learning opportunities were improved, thus helping raise the working capacity of young people.

The rate of people working in the industrial and construction sectors meanwhile increased from 12.6% in 1996 to nearly 18% in 2005, and the rate of people working in the agro-forestry sector reduced from 70% to 57%.

The reduction of population growth rate and the changes in population structure have greatly helped improve Vietnam's people's living conditions and socio-economic development.

In 2002, with the population growth rate recorded 1.32%, the country's economic accumulation rate reached 1.76% despite the GDP of 7.04%, according to Director of the Information Centre of the National Population, Family and Children Committee Nguyen Quoc Anh. In 2003, the economic accumulation rate was only 1.36% due to a population growth rate of 1.47% although the GDP was higher, 7.24%.

A low population growth rate of 1.33% and a high economic growth rate of 8.4% resulted in the highest ever economic accumulation rate of 3% in 2005, Anh added. (VNA)