SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN 4 MONTHS OF 2020

1. Production of agriculture, forestry and fishery

a) Agriculture

As of April 15th, the cultivated winter-spring rice area over the country was 3,021.3 thousand ha, equaling 96.8% of that in the same period last year. As of mid-April, localities in the South harvested 1,679.8 thousand ha of winter-spring rice, accounting for 87.3% of sown area and equaling 97.6% of that figure in the similar period last year. As of mid-April, Southern localities sowed 602.2 thousand ha of summer-autumn rice, equaling 96.8% of that figure in the identical period last year.

As of mid-April, localities nationwide cultivated 387.7 thousand ha of maize, equaling 97.4% of the recorded figure in the corresponding period last year; 62.3 thousand ha of sweet potato, equaling 92.3%; 126.7 thousand ha of peanut, equaling 99.1%; 15.5 thousand ha of soya bean, equaling 89.6% and 586.2 thousand ha of vegetables, equaling 100.7%.

Estimated in April, the whole country’s buffalo population reduced by 2% compared to the same period in 2019; cattle population increased by 3.8%; pig population decreased by 13.2%; poultry population expanded by 14%. As of April 26th, 2020, the country had no longer blue-ear pig disease. There was an outbreak of avian influenza A/H5N6 in Ninh Binh province, an avian influenza A/H5N1 outbreak in Can Tho province less than 21 days and two outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Kon Tum province. Six outbreaks of African swine fever have recurred in 2 localities[1]. Currently, there are 106 communes in 47 districts of 20 localities where the African swine fever has been reported for less than 30 days.

b) Forestry

Generally for the first four months of 2020, the area of concentrated planted forest was estimated at 60.2 thousand ha, a rise of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. The number of separate planted forestry trees gained 28.7 million trees, a decline of 0.6%; wood production achieved 3,987 thousand m3, a drop of 0.2%; and 6.2 million steres of firewood was recorded, a decrease of 1.3%.

In general, in the first four months of the year, there were 520.9 ha of damaged forest, increasing by 89% over the same period last year, of which burnt area was 311.5 ha, 2.8 times as high as that in the similar period last year; destroyed area was 209.4 ha, up 28.8%.

c) Fishery

Generally, in the four months of 2020, fishing production was estimated at 2,200.9 thousand tons, increasing by 0.3% from the corresponding period last year, of which the output of aquaculture was 1,020.4 thousand tons, recording a fall of 0.1%; the production of fishery caught witnessed a growth of 0.8% with 1,180.5 thousand tons.

+ Agricultural production as of April 15, 2020

2. Industry

Index of industrial production (IIP) in April 2020 was estimated to decrease by 13.3% from the previous month and by 10.5% against the similar period last year. Generally for the first four months of 2020, IIP was estimated to go up by 1.8% over the same period last year.

The number of laborers working in industrial enterprises as of April 01, 2020 witnessed a decline of 1.1% compared to that in the same period last month and a drop of 1.6% against the similar period last year (it increased by 2.3% in the same period in 2019), of which laborers in the State and non-State enterprise sectors had the same decrease of 2.9%; laborers in FDI enterprise sector fell by 0.7%.

+ Industrial Production Index
+ Main industrial products
+ Labor employed index (LEI) for industrial enterprises
+ Labor employed index (LEI) for industrial enterprises by province

3. Business registration situation[2]

Generally for the first four months of the year, there were 37.6 thousand enterprises registered for new establishment with a registered capital of VND 445.2 trillion and 315.7 thousand registered laborers, decreasing by 13.2% in the number of enterprises, by 17.9% in the amount of registered capital and by 29.7% in the number of laborers compared to the same period last year. The average registered capital per new enterprise in four months was VND 11.8 billion, showing a drop of 5.5% against the same period last year. The total registered capital added to the economy in the first four months of 2020 was VND 1,126.1 trillion, including VND 680.9 trillion of the additional capital of 11.7 thousand enterprises registering to increase capital, showing a decline of 26.2% from the same period last year. In addition, there were 17.8 thousand enterprises resumed operation, increasing by 2.1% over the similar period in 2019, bringing the total number of newly registered enterprises and re-operated enterprises in four months to 55.4 thousand ones. On average, there were 13.8 thousand newly established enterprises and resumed ones each month.

By economic sector, in the first four months of the year, there were 558 newly established enterprises in the sector of agriculture, forestry and fishery, reducing by 6.2% compared to the same period last year; 10.5 thousand ones in the sector of industry and construction, dropping by 10.7%; 26.7 thousand ones in the service sector, going down by 14.3%.

In four months, the number of enterprises suspending operation for a definite time was 22.7 thousand ones, increasing by 33.6% compared to the similar period last year; the number of enterprises ceased operation waiting for dissolution procedures was nearly 14 thousand ones, showing a decline of 19.2%, of which 2,903 enterprises had their business registration certificates revoked, 5,277 ones announced their dissolution, and 5,776 ones were awaiting dissolution procedures with the tax authorities.

Also in the first four months of the year, 5.1 thousand enterprises completed dissolution procedures, showing a decline of 3.8% compared to the similar period last year, of which nearly 4.6 thousand enterprises had the capital size of less than VND 10 billion, down 4.5%; 75 ones had the capital size of more than VND 100 billion, up 8.7%. In four months, there are 14.3 thousand enterprises not operating at the registered address, up 7.6% over the same period last year.

+ Some indicators on enterprises
+ Number of newly registered enterperises
+ Number of re-operated enterprises
+ Number of enterprises suspending for a definite time
+ Number of enterprises completed dissolution procedures

4. Investment

Generally for the first four months of the year, a 12.9% growth in total realized investment capital under the State budget compared to the corresponding period last year was recorded with the capital of VND 83.7 trillion, equaling 18.1% of the annual plan (the realized investment capital under the State budget equaled 19.3% of the yearly plan and  increased by 4% in the same period of 2019), of which the capital under central management reached VND 12.3 trillion, equaling 15.8% of the annual plan and increasing by 32.3% from the similar period last year; the capital under local management reached VND 71.4 trillion, equaling 18.6% of the annual plan and climbing by 10.1% compared to the identical period last year.

The total foreign investment in Vietnam as of April 20th, 2020, including the newly registered, adjusted capital, contributed capital and shares purchased by foreign investors reached US$ 12.3 billion, down 15.5% compared to the same period last year. In particular, there were 984 newly licensed projects with a total registered capital of US$ 6.8 billion, a decline of 9.1% in the number of projects and a rise of 26.9% in the amount of registered capital against the similar period last year. In addition, there were 335 turns of license-granted projects from previous years registered to adjust investment capital with additional capital of US$ 3 billion, increasing by 45.6%; 3,210 turns of capital contribution and share purchase of foreign investors with the total contributed capital of nearly US$ 2.5 billion, falling by 65.3%, including 584 turns of capital contribution, share purchase increasing the charter capital of enterprises with the contributed capital of US$ 0.9 billion, and 2,626 turns of foreign investors buying domestic shares back without increasing charter capital with contributed capital of US$ 1.6 billion. The realized foreign direct investment in the first four months of 2020 was estimated at US$ 5.2 billion, down 9.6% over the similar period last year. The investment projects came from 57 countries and territories.

Vietnam’s direct investment abroad in the first four months of 2020 recorded 45 projects newly granted the Outward Investment Registration Certificate with Vietnam’s total investment capital of US$ 53.1 million; 9 turns of projects adjusting the capital with additional capital of US$ 15.8 million. Generally, Vietnam’s total offshore investment capital (including newly granted and additional capital) in four months gained US$ 68.9 million. In the first four months of the year, there were 18 countries and territories receiving the investment of Vietnam.

+ Realized investment capital under the State budget in April and 4 months of 2020
+ Licensed FDI projects from January 01 to April 20, 2020

5. Government revenues and expenditures

Total estimated government revenues from the beginning of the year to April 15th, 2020 achieved VND 427.2 trillion, equaling 28.2% of the annual estimate, of which domestic revenues recorded VND 351.6 trillion, equaling 27.8%; collecting from crude oil gained VND 17.3 trillion, equaling 49.1%; from export-import balance obtained VND 58 trillion, equaling 27.9%. In domestic revenues, revenues from State owned enterprises was VND 40.3 trillion, equaling 22.7% of the yearly estimate; revenues from foreign-invested enterprises (excluding crude oil) was VND 63.2 trillion, equaling 27.6%; VND 70.5 trillion were collected from non-State industrial, commercial and service taxes, equaling 26%; personal income tax revenue was VND 41.4 trillion, equaling 32.2%; VND 14.1 trillion were collected from environmental protection tax, equaling 20.9%; collecting from land use fees reached VND 38.5 trillion, equaling 40.2%.

Total government expenditures from the beginning of the year to April 15th, 2020 was estimated at VND 408.5 trillion, equaling 23.4% of the yearly estimate, of which regular expenditures were VND 291.6 trillion, equaling 27.6%; expenditure on development investment achieved VND 76.6 trillion, equalling 16.3%; VND 38.6 trillion were spent on interest payment, equaling 32.7%.

6. Trade, prices, transport and tourism

a) Retail sales of consumer goods and services

Total retail sales of consumer goods and services in the first four months of 2020 reached VND 1,520 trillion, down 4.3% over the same period last year, if excluding the price factor, it decreased by 9.6% (it expanded by 8.8% in the similar period in 2019).

By kinds of economic activity, retail sales of goods in the first four months of this year gained an estimate of VND 1,224.5 trillion, accounting for 80.6% of the total and going up by 0.4% over the similar period last year. Estimated sales of accommodation and catering services in the first four months of the year recorded VND 143 trillion, taking 9.4% of the total and falling by 23.6% compared to the similar period last year (it increased by 10.1% in the corresponding period in 2019). Sales of travelling in the first four months of the year achieved an estimate of VND 7.9 trillion, holding 0.5% of the total and dropping by 45.2% in comparison with that in the same period last year (it grew by 12.6% in the identical period in 2019). Sales of other services in the first four months of the year was estimated at VND 144.6 trillion, representing 9.5% of the total and moving down by 13.2% against the similar period in 2019.

+ Total retail sales of consumer goods and services

b) Merchandize exports and imports

Exports

Generally for the first four months of 2020, export turnover of goods was estimated at US$ 82.94 billion, a rise of 4.7% from the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector achieved US$ 26.45 billion, jumping up by 12.1%; the FDI sector (including crude oil) gained US$ 56.49 billion (accounting for 68.1% of total export turnover), expanding by 1.5%.

Regarding merchandize export market, the United States was the biggest export market of Vietnam in the first four months of 2020 with the turnover of US$ 20.3 billion, going up by 13.4% over  the same period last year; followed by China with US$ 13.1 billion, up 26.7%; EU with US$ 10.7 billion, down 8.1%; ASEAN with US$ 8.2 billion, down 3.4%; Japan with US$ 6.7 billion, up 10.1%; and South Korea with US$ 6.2 billion, down 0.2%.

Imports

Generally, import turnover of goods in the first four months of 2020 reached an estimate of US$ 79.89 billion, moving up by 2.1% from the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector gained US$ 33.58 billion, climbing by 1.1%; the FDI sector achieved US$ 46.31 billion, jumping up by 2.9%.

Regarding the commodity structure of imports in the first four months of 2020, the commodity group of production materials was estimated at US$ 75.1 billion, increasing by 3% compared to the same period last year and accounting for 94% of total import turnover; the group of consumer goods reached an estimate of US$ 4.8 billion, falling by 9.9% and accounting for 6%.

About merchandize import market in four months, China was the largest import market of Vietnam with estimated turnover of US$ 22.7 billion, decreasing by 0.1% against the corresponding period last year; followed by South Korea with US$ 15.5 billion, climbing by 2.5%; ASEAN with US$ 9.9 billion, falling by 7.8%; Japan with US$ 6.4 billion, moving up by 10.9%; the United States with US$ 4.7 billion, growing by 9.6%; EU with US$ 4.5 billion, going up by 8%.

Overall, in the first four months of 2020, Vietnam reported an estimated US$ 3 billion trade surplus[3], of which the domestic economic sector recorded trade deficit of US$ 7.1 billion; the FDI sector (including crude oil) gained trade surplus of US$ 10.1 billion.

+ Exports
+ Imports

c) Consumer price indexes (CPI), gold and US dollar price indexes

Average CPI in the first four months of 2020 increased by 4.9% compared to that in the same period of 2019; CPI in April 2020 went down by 1.21% against December 2019 and grew by 2.93% from the similar period last year.

Core inflation in April 2020 moved down by 0.15% from the previous month and expanded by 2.71% over the identical period last year. Average core inflation in the first four months of this year increased by 2.96% over the similar period in 2019.

The world’s average gold price in April 2020 (as of April 24th, 2020) showed a rise of 6.74% compared to that in March 2020. Domestic gold price index in April 2020 increased by 0.69% from the previous month, by 12.14% over December 2019, and by 26.81% against the same period last year.

The US dollar price index in April 2020 witnessed a 0.95% increase over the previous month, a 1.47% growth against December 2019 and a rise of 1.15% compared to the same period last year.

+ Consumer price indexes, gold, US dollar price indexes and core inflation in April 2020

d) Transport of passengers and cargos

Generally for the first four months of 2020, transport of passengers 1,231.3 million passengers, a decrease of 27.5% over the corresponding period last year (it increased by 10.9% in the same period in 2019) and 57.4 billion passengers-km, a decline of 30.6% (it grew by 9.6% in the similar period last year), of which domestic transport gained 1,228.5 million passengers, down 27.4% and 47.7 billion passengers-km, down 27.5%; overseas transport achieved 2.8 million passengers, decreasing by 52.4% and 9.7 billion passengers-km, moving down by 42.8%. By types of transport, transport by road in four months achieved 1,165.5 million passengers, going down by 27.7% from the same period last year and 40.3 billion passengers-km, falling by 27.6%; transport by inland waterway gained 51.9 million passengers, reducing by 19.1% and 1.2 billion passengers-km, decreasing by 21.6%; transport by airway recorded 11.1 million passengers, going down by 36% and 15.2 billion passengers-km, decreasing by 37.8%; transport by railway reached 1.4 million passengers, down 49.2% and 685.3 million passengers-km, down 38.2%; transport by seaway reached nearly 1.4 million passengers, dropping by 40.2% and 110.1 million passengers-km, falling by 27.8%.

Generally, the freight in the first four months of 2020 reached 534.5 million tons, down 7.2% against the similar period last year (it moved up by 8.7% in the same period in 2019) and 103.8 billion tons-km, down 7.8% (it expanded by 6.6% in the identical period last year), of which the domestic freight reached 523.5 million tons, seeing a decline of 7.2% and 54.1 billion tons-km, a reduction of 11.4%; oversea freight reached 11 million tons, decreasing by 10.1% and 49.6 billion tons-km, dropping by 3.4%. By types of freight, freight by road in four months reached 416.7 million tons, witnessing a fall of 7.2% compared to the identical period last year and 29.2 billion tons-km, a drop of 8.1%; freight by inland waterway reached 91.6 million tons, down 7.1% and 19.8 billion tons-km, down 6.6%; freight by seaway recorded 24.5 million tons, decreasing by 8.5% and 51.9 billion tons-km, moving down by 7.1%; freight by railway reached 1.6 million tons, showing a decrease of 4.7% and 1.1 billion tons-km, a decline of 0.9%; freight by airway reached 108.5 thousand tons, down 15.5% and 1.7 billion tons-km, down 31.1%.

+ Carriage of passengers and cargos

e) International visitors to Vietnam

International visitors to Vietnam in the first four months of the yearwas estimated at 3,713 thousand arrivals, moving down by 37.8% compared to the same period last year, of which visitors coming by airway gained 2,998.1 thousand arrivals, accounting for 80.7% of the number of international visitors to Vietnam, dropping by 35.9%; visitors coming by road achieved 570.7 thousand arrivals, accounting for 15.4%  and going down by 51.4%; visitors coming by seaway witnessed a rise of 20.7% with 144.2 thousand arrivals, accounting for 20.7%.

In four months, visitors coming from Asia recorded 2,699.2 thousand arrivals, accounting for 72.7% of total international visitors to Vietnam, decreasing by 40.3% over the identical period last year. Visitors from Europe reached an estimate of 665.3 thousand arrivals, down 25.4% from the same period last year. Visitors from America gained 234.2 thousand arrivals, down 37.6% over the corresponding period last year. Visitors from Australia achieved 102.3 thousand arrivals, dropping by 37.5%. Visitors from Africa reached 12 thousand arrivals, reducing by 25% over the same period in 2019.

+ International visitors to Vietnam

7. Social issues

a) People’s life and social security

Generally for the first four months of the year, the whole country had 15.3 thousand households suffering from food shortage, down 65% compared to the same period last year, corresponding to 62.6 thousand persons suffering from this difficulty, down 63.6%. To overcome this problem, from the beginning of the year, all administrative levels, sectors and organizations from the central to local supported difficult households with 487.9 tons of rice.

b) Epidemic diseases and food poisoning

Generally, in the first four months of 2020, the whole country had 23.5 thousand cases of hemorrhagic fever (4 cases died); 4,579 cases of hand, foot, mouth disease;  118 cases of virus encephalitis, 1 case of meningococcal disease; and  2,210 cases of scarlet fever suspected for measles, of which 177 cases were positive for measles.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still developing complicatedly[4]. In Vietnam, the epidemic situation is under good control, showing the effectiveness of implementing social distancing in the past weeks. As of 6 am on April 27th, 2020, Vietnam had 270 confirmed cases (225 cases have been cured).

Total number of alive HIV-infected persons over the country as of April 18th, 2020 was 210.4 thousand persons and 97,137 cases turned to AIDS. The number of persons died of HIV/AIDS as of above time-point was 98,655 persons.

Generally for the first four months of 2020, the whole country recorded 23 cases of food poisoning with 419 poisoned persons (12 deaths).

c) Traffic accidents

Generally for the first four months of 2020, 4,509 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, including 2,520 cases of traffic accidents from less serious to become and 1,989 cases of traffic collisions, causing 2,138 deaths, 1,264 injuries and 2,041 minor injuries. Compared to the same period last year, the number of traffic accidents in the first four months of 2020 declined by 17.3% (number of traffic accidents of differently serious levels reduced by 13.7%; number of traffic collisions decreased by 21.5%); number of death fell by 16.8%; number of injuries went down by 21.7% and number of minor injuries dropped by 20.4%. On average, there were 37 traffic accidents occurred nationwide each day in the first four months of 2020, including 21 traffic accidents from less serious to become and 16 traffic collisions, causing 18 deaths, 10 injuries and 17 minor injuries.

d) Damages caused by natural calamity

Generally for the first four months of 2020, natural calamity caused 12 deaths, 21 injuries, made 68.8 thousand ha of rice and more than 16.2 thousand ha of crops damaged; 39 houses collapsed;  over 28.3 thousand houses damaged. The total loss in asset caused by natural disasters was estimated at more than VND 2.5 trillion.

e) Environmental pollution, fire and explosion

Generally, the first four months of this year found 3,434 cases of violating regulations of environment protection over the country, of which 3,020 cases were treated with total fine of VND 70.6 billion.

Generally, in four months, there were 1,044 fire and explosion cases in the whole country, causing 35 deaths and 78 injuries, with an estimated damage of more than VND 229.8 billion.

GENERAL STATISTICS OFFICE