Business News

Looking ahead to 2026, prospects remain bright as manufacturing, economic growth and foreign investment in Việt Nam are expected to stay robust, with the country forecast to post the highest growth rate in the region this year, according to Adam Sitkoff, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Vietnam.

According to data from the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, total registered foreign investment in Vietnam reached US$38.42 billion as of December 31, 2025, up 0.5% year on year. Notably, realized foreign direct investment for the full year was estimated at US$27.62 billion, an increase of 9%, marking the highest level recorded during the 2021-2025 period.

Vietnam recorded 31 M&A deals in December, with total disclosed and estimated transaction value reaching approximately $1.3 billion, according to Grant Thornton. The firm’s December report showed the consumer sector led the market during the month, ranking first in both deal volume and value, driven largely by transactions aligned with long-term strategic expansion.

The northern province of Bắc Ninh ranked second nationwide in foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in 2025, only after HCM City, underscoring its position as one of Vietnam’s leading industrial and investment hubs. Last year, Bắc Ninh attracted around US$20 billion in total investment capital, with FDI reaching $5.73 billion. The province also saw 7,686 newly established enterprises, bringing the total number of businesses to nearly 50,000.

With a record export value of over US$5.2 billion in 2025, cashews surpassed the $5 billion mark for the first time, becoming Việt Nam’s third-largest agricultural export after coffee and fruits & vegetables, according to the Vietnam Customs. In addition to setting a new value record, cashew exports in 2025 also reached a new volume high of 766,585 tonnes, up 5.7 per cent from 2024.

In 2025, Hai Phong City benefited from significant opportunities created by an expanded development space following administrative consolidation, while also facing challenges in maintaining stable and efficient administrative operations and sustaining strong economic growth amid ongoing global volatility. Within this context, the industry and trade sector continued to serve as an important driving force for the city’s overall economic growth.

Average per capita income in 2025 was estimated at VND5.9 million (approximately US$225) per month, marking a 9.3 percent increase from 2024, according to preliminary findings of the Household Living Standards Survey 2025 conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO). Part of the income growth stemmed from State payments to public officials and employees who retired or resigned under the restructuring of the political system's organizational apparatus.

Since the beginning of the year, the Central Highlands province has attracted 26 new ventures with total registered capital of more than VND27.46 trillion ($1.05 billion), according to the Gia Lai Investment Promotion Centre. Several of these are sizeable schemes focused mainly on renewable energy and urban development.