HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam abolished its long-standing two-child limit Tuesday to try and reverse declining birth rates and ease the pressures of an aging population. The National Assembly passed amendments scrapping rules that limit families to having one or two children, state media Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.

Vietnam has eliminated its policy of limiting families to having no more than two children, as the country seeks to boost a declining fertility rate that threatens its long-term economic prospects.

Vietnam on Tuesday scrapped its nearly four-decade policy limiting families to two children, as Vietnamese birth rates continue to drop, the aging population increases and officials warn of long-term risks of demographic decline for the economy, defense and the fabric of society.