Vietnam has some of the highest land densities in the world, and its population is still
growing. This paper studies the causes of population growth with a focus on the
economic value of children. I develop a model of household demand for children that
emphasizes the allocation of childrenís time across productive activities: work on the
farm, in the labor market, and going to school. Demand for child labor on the farm
and in the family enterprise, school attendance, and motherís schooling are estimated
to have a large effect on family size. Child mortality, son preference, and access to
contraceptives also affect family size but the magnitude of the effect is small. The
results suggest that the governmentís focus on contraceptive delivery to reduce
Vietnamís population growth should be complemented by policies that affect the
economic motives for having children.