Global trade shifts reshape investment flows
Vietnam’s economy expanded by 8.02% in 2025, marking its strongest performance in years despite global challenges and natural disasters. The General Statistics Office reported nominal GDP at nearly 12.85 quadrillion dong, equivalent to $514 billion, an increase of $38 billion from the previous year. Per capita income climbed to $5,026.
Growth spread across all major sectors
Industry and construction led the expansion with an 8.95% increase, while services, which make up just over half of economic output, remained the main driver. Inflation stayed within the National Assembly’s target, rising 3.31% annually. Housing costs, food services, healthcare, and education exerted the most upward pressure on prices, though lower transport costs and stable communications prices provided some relief.
Core inflation, excluding food and energy, averaged 3.21%, slightly below the overall rate. The combination of strong output growth and controlled inflation points to a resilient macroeconomic environment, underpinned by diversified sectoral expansion and stable price management.
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Foreign investment surged despite global uncertainty
Newly registered foreign direct investment reached $38.4 billion, a slight 0.5% rise from 2024. Disbursed capital, however, increased by 9% to $27.6 billion, the highest level in five years. The number of new FDI projects grew by 20.1%, though total newly registered capital declined 12.2% to $17.3 billion.
Manufacturing and processing attracted over half of registered capital. Real estate and technology-related activities also saw heightened investor interest. Capital contributions and share purchases rose 55% to $7 billion.
Singapore remained the largest source of new FDI, followed by China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Sweden.
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Trade surplus widened as external trade expanded
Total trade turnover surpassed $930 billion, an 18.2% increase from 2024, with a $20 billion surplus. A clear structural divide persisted between domestic and foreign-invested enterprises: the domestic sector posted a trade deficit of $29.4 billion, while the foreign-invested sector generated a surplus of nearly $49.5 billion.
The gap between foreign-invested and domestic enterprises remained evident. Domestic firms recorded a $29.4 billion trade deficit, while foreign-invested companies produced a $49.5 billion surplus.
