SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF 2020

1. Production of agriculture, forestry and fishery

a) Agriculture

The cultivated winter-spring rice area over the country was 3,025.5 thousand hectares (ha), equaling 96.8% of that in the same period last year (down 98.7 thousand ha). As of mid-May, localities in the South harvested 1,870 thousand ha of winter-spring rice, accounting for 97% of sown area and equaling 94.7% of that figure in the similar period last year. The estimated winter-spring rice productivity of Southern localities this year reached 6,730 kilograms per ha (kg/ha), an increase of 30 kg/ha compared to last winter-spring crop; but due to the decrease in rice area, the output gained 13.44 million tons, down 464.2 thousand tons. Together with the winter-spring rice cultivation, as of mid-May, localities in the South sowed 773.2 thousand ha of summer-autumn rice, equaling 95.3% of that figure in the identical period last year.

As of mid-May, the whole country cultivated 434.9 thousand ha of maize, equaling 97% of the recorded figure in the corresponding period last year; 65.4 thousand ha of sweet potato, equaling 93.3%; 131.5 thousand ha of peanut, equaling 102.1%; 23.5 thousand ha of soya bean, equaling 107.3% and 599 thousand ha of vegetables, equaling 100.8%.

Estimated in May, the whole country’s buffalo population reduced by 2.1% compared to the same period in 2019; cattle population increased by 3.7%; pig population decreased by 6.2%; poultry population expanded by 11.5%. As of May 20, 2020, the country had no longer blue-ear pig disease. There were five outbreaks of avian influenza less than 21 days over the country and an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease less than 21 days in Kon Tum province. African swine fever recorded in 143 communes under 54 districts of 19 localities has not yet passed 30 days.

+ Agricultural production as of May 15, 2020

b) Forestry

Generally for the first five months of 2020, the area of concentrated planted forest was estimated at 84.8 thousand ha, equivalent to the figure in the same period last year. The number of separate planted forestry trees gained 34.2 million trees, a decline of 3.4%; wood production achieved 5,627 thousand m3, a rise of 0.8%; and 8.2 million steres of firewood was recorded, a decrease of 1.9%.

In general, in the first five months of the year, there were 652.8 ha of damaged forest, increasing by 19.7% over the same period last year, of which burnt area was 374.4 ha, up 25%; destroyed area was 278.4 ha, up 13.2%.

c) Fishery

Generally, in the first five months of 2020, fishing production was estimated at 3,043 thousand tons, increasing by 2.2% from the corresponding period last year, of which the output of aquaculture was 1,541.5 thousand tons, recording a rise of 6.8%; the production of fishery caught witnessed a decline of 2.2% with 1,501.5 thousand tons (sea catching reached 1,437.1 thousand tons, down 2.1%).

2. Industry

Index of industrial production (IIP) in May 2020 was estimated to increase by 11.2% from the previous month and reduce by 3.1% against the similar period last year. Generally for the first five months of 2020, IIP was estimated to go up by 1% over the same period last year, much lower than the growth rate of 9.5% of the same period in 2019

The number of laborers working in industrial enterprises as of May 01, 2020 witnessed a rise of 0.9% over the same period last month and a drop of 1.7% against the similar period last year (it increased by 2.2% in the same period in 2019), of which laborers in the State enterprise sector fell by 1.9%; laborers in the non-State enterprise sector moved down by 2.5%; laborers in FDI enterprise sector saw a decrease of 1.3%.

+ 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[1]

Generally for the first five months of the year, there were 48.3 thousand enterprises registered for new establishment with a registered capital of VND 557.9 trillion and 407.2 thousand registered laborers, decreasing by 10.5% in the number of enterprises, by 16.7% in the amount of registered capital and by 24.2% in the number of laborers compared to the same period last year. The average registered capital per new enterprise in five months was VND 11.5 billion, showing a drop of 6.9% against the same period last year. The total registered capital added to the economy in the first five months of 2020 was VND 1,375.3 trillion, including VND 817.4 trillion of the additional capital of 15.1 thousand enterprises registering to increase capital, showing a decline of 17% from the same period last year. In addition, there were 21.7 thousand enterprises resumed operation, increasing by 10.5% over the similar period in 2019, bringing the total number of newly registered enterprises and re-operated enterprises in five months to 70 thousand ones. On average, there were 14 thousand newly established enterprises and resumed ones each month.

By economic sector, in the first five months of the year, there were 794 newly established enterprises in the sector of agriculture, forestry and fishery, expanding by 5.6% compared to the same period last year; 13.8 thousand ones in the sector of industry and construction, dropping by 6%; nearly 33.7 thousand ones in the service sector, going down by 12.6%.

In five months, the number of enterprises suspending operation for a definite time was 26 thousand ones, increasing by 36.4% compared to the similar period last year; the number of enterprises ceased operation waiting for dissolution procedures was 16.5 thousand ones, a decline of 14.5%; nearly 6.1 thousand enterprises completed dissolution procedures, showing a decline of 4.8% compared to the similar period last year, of which 5.4 thousand enterprises had the capital size of less than VND 10 billion, down 5.7%; 87 ones had the capital size of more than VND 100 billion, up 6.1%. In five months, the whole country had 17.4 thousand enterprises not operating at the registered address, up 8% 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 five months of the year, total realized investment capital under the State budget reached VND 116.3 trillion, equaling 24.9% of the annual plan and increasing by 15.6% compared to the corresponding period last year (it equaled 26.2% of the yearly plan and  increased by 4.2% in the same period of 2019), of which the capital under central management recorded VND 17.7 trillion, equaling 22.9% of the annual plan and going up by 41.1% from the similar period last year; the capital under local management gained VND 98.6 trillion, equaling 25.3% of the annual plan and climbing by 11.9% over the identical period last year.

The total foreign investment in Vietnam as of May 20, 2020, including the newly registered capital, adjusted capital, contributed capital and shares purchased by foreign investors reached US$ 13.9 billion, down 17% compared to the same period last year. In particular, there were 1,212 newly licensed projects with a total registered capital of US$ 7.4 billion, a decline of 11.1% in the number of projects and a rise of 15.2% in the amount of registered capital against the similar period last year. In addition, there were 436 turns of license-granted projects from previous years registered to adjust investment capital with additional capital of US$ 3.5 billion, increasing by 31.4%; 3,528 turns of capital contribution and share purchase of foreign investors with the total contributed capital of nearly US$ 3 billion, falling by 60.9%, of which there were 715 turns of capital contribution, share purchase increasing the charter capital of enterprises with the contributed capital of US$ 1.2 billion and 2,183 turns of foreign investors buying domestic shares back without increasing charter capital with contributed capital of US$ 1.8 billion. The realized foreign direct investment in the first five months of 2020 was estimated at US$ 6.7 billion, down 8.2% over the similar period last year.

Vietnam’s direct investment abroad in the first five months of 2020 recorded 60 projects newly granted the Outward Investment Registration Certificate with Vietnam’s total investment capital of US$ 161.9 million; 11 turns of projects adjusting the capital with additional capital of US$ 18.8 million. Generally, Vietnam’s total offshore investment capital (including newly granted and additional capital) in five months gained US$ 180.7 million, equaling 98.7% of the capital in the same period last year.   

+ Realized investment capital under the State budget in May and 5 months of 2020
+ Licensed FDI projects from January 01 to May 20, 2020
 
5. Government revenues and expenditures

Total estimated government revenues from the beginning of the year to May 15, 2020 achieved VND 529.6 trillion, equaling 35% of the annual estimate, of which domestic revenues recorded VND 439.9 trillion, equaling 34.8%; collecting from crude oil gained VND 18.9 trillion, equaling 53.7%; from export-import balance obtained VND 70.5 trillion, equaling 33.9%. In domestic revenues, revenues from State owned enterprises was VND 52.9 trillion, equaling 29.7% of the yearly estimate; revenues from foreign-invested enterprises (excluding crude oil) was VND 79.5 trillion, equaling 34.8%; VND 82.9 trillion were collected from non-State industrial, commercial and service taxes, equaling 30.6%; personal income tax revenue was VND 52.4 trillion, equaling 40.7%; VND 19.5 trillion were collected from environmental protection tax, equaling 28.9%; collecting from land use fees reached VND 48.5 trillion, equaling 50.6%.

Total government expenditures from the beginning of the year to May 15, 2020 was estimated at VND 537.4 trillion, equaling 30.8% of the yearly estimate, of which regular expenditures were VND 385 trillion, equaling 36.4%; expenditure on development investment achieved VND 103.8 trillion, equaling 22.1%; VND 45.6 trillion were spent on interest payment, equaling 38.6%.

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 five months of 2020 reached VND 1,913.9 trillion, down 3.9% over the same period last year, if excluding the price factor, it decreased by 8.6% (it expanded by 8.5% in the similar period of 2019).

By kinds of economic activity, retail sales of goods in the first five months of this year gained an estimate of VND 1,543.4 trillion, accounting for 80.6% of the total and going up by 1.2% over the similar period last year. Retail sales of goods in the first 5 months witnessed a slight increase. Estimated sales of accommodation and catering services in the first five months of the year recorded VND 175.3 trillion, taking 9.2% of the total and falling by 25.8% compared to the similar period last year (it increased by 9.9% in the corresponding period in 2019). Sales of travelling in the first five months of the year achieved an estimate of VND 8.3 trillion, accounting for 0.4% of the total and dropping by 54.1% in comparison with that in the same period last year. Sales of other services in the first five months of the year were estimated at VND 186.9 trillion, representing 9.8% of the total and moving down by 11.8% against the similar period in 2019.

+ Total retail sales of consumer goods and services

b) Merchandize exports and imports[2]

Exports

Generally for the first five months of 2020, export turnover of goods was estimated at US$ 99.36 billion, a reduction of 1.7% from the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector achieved US$ 33.30 billion, jumping up by 10.4%; the FDI sector (including crude oil) gained US$ 66.06 billion (accounting for 66.5% of total export turnover), decreasing by 6.9%.

Regarding merchandize export market, the United States was the biggest export market of Vietnam in the first five months of 2020 with the turnover of US$ 24.6 billion, going up by 8.2% over  the same period last year; followed by China with US$ 16.3 billion, up 20.1%; EU with US$ 12.9 billion, down 12%; ASEAN with US$ 9.4 billion, down 13.4%; Japan with US$ 8.1 billion, up 2.2%; and South Korea with US$ 7.7 billion, down 0.5%.

Imports

Generally, import turnover of goods in the first five months of 2020 reached an estimate of US$ 97.48 billion, moving down by 3.8% from the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector gained US$ 41.94 billion, reducing by 3.2%; the FDI sector achieved US$ 55.54 billion, falling by 4.3%.

Regarding the commodity structure of imports in the first five months of 2020, the commodity group of production materials was estimated at US$ 90.98 billion, decreasing by 3.4% compared to the same period last year and accounting for 93.3% of total import turnover; the group of consumer goods reached an estimate of US$ 6.5 billion, dropping by 9.7% and accounting for 6.7%.

About merchandize import market in five months, China was the largest import market of Vietnam with estimated turnover of US$ 28.9 billion, decreasing by 3% against the corresponding period last year; followed by South Korea with US$ 17.3 billion, dropping by 9.5%; ASEAN with US$ 11.8 billion, falling by 14.1%; Japan with US$ 8.1 billion, moving up by 9.9%; the United States with US$ 6.1 billion, growing by 6.4%; EU with US$ 5.8 billion, going up by 5.8%.

Overall, in the first five months of 2020, Vietnam reported estimated trade surplus of US$ 1.9 billion[3], of which the domestic economic sector recorded trade deficit of US$ 8.6 billion; the FDI sector (including crude oil) witnessed trade surplus of US$ 10.5 billion.

+ Exports
+ Imports

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

In CPI’s decrease of 0.03% in May 2020 compared to the previous month, there were 4/11 groups of goods and services with sharply reduced price index. Core inflation in May 2020 fell by 0.03% over the previous month and increased by 2.54% from the similar period last year. Average core inflation in the first five months of this year grew by 2.88% over the similar period in 2019.

The world’s average gold price as of May 24, 2020 showed a rise of 1.41% compared to that in April 2020. Domestic gold price index in May 2020 increased by 2.41% from the previous month, by 14.84% over December 2019, and by 30.52% against the same period last year.

The US dollar price index in May 2020 witnessed a 0.41% decrease over the previous month, a 1.06% growth against December 2019 and a rise of 0.29% compared to the same period last year.

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

d) Transport of passengers and cargos

Generally for the first five months of 2020, transport of passengers 1,515.6 million passengers, a decrease of 27.5% over the corresponding period last year (it increased by 10.6% in the same period in 2019) and 69.4 billion passengers-km, a decline of 32.1% (it grew by 9.3% in the similar period last year), of which domestic transport gained 1,512.9 million passengers, down 27.4% and 60 billion passengers-km, down 25.9%; overseas transport achieved 2.7 million passengers, decreasing by 62.4% and 9.3 billion passengers-km, moving down by 56%. By types of transport, transport by road in five months achieved 1,428.4 million passengers, going down by 28% from the same period last year and 51.6 billion passengers-km, falling by 24.3%; transport by inland waterway gained 72.1 million passengers, reducing by 10.4% and 1.6 billion passengers-km, decreasing by 14.2%; transport by airway recorded 11.3 million passengers, going down by 48.7% and 15.2 billion passengers-km, decreasing by 50.3%; transport by railway reached 1.8 million passengers, down 47.7% and 828.9 million passengers-km, down 38.2%; transport by seaway reached nearly 2 million passengers, dropping by 29.6% and 139.5 million passengers-km, falling by 26.9%.

Generally, the freight in the first five months of 2020 reached 684 million tons, down 5.9% against the similar period last year (it moved up by 8.9% in the same period in 2019) and 132.5 billion tons-km, down 6.7% (it expanded by 6.8% in the identical period last year), of which the domestic freight reached 669.9 million tons, seeing a decline of 5.8% and 71.2 billion tons-km, a reduction of 7.8%; oversea freight reached 14 million tons, decreasing by 9.6% and 61.3 billion tons-km, dropping by 5.4%. By types of freight, freight by road in five months reached 533 million tons, witnessing a fall of 5.7% compared to the identical period last year and 37.6 billion tons-km, a drop of 6.7%; freight by inland waterway reached 117.4 million tons, down 6.6% and 25.6 billion tons-km, down 5.7%; freight by seaway recorded 31.3 million tons, decreasing by 6.5% and 66.3 billion tons-km, moving down by 5.4%; freight by railway reached 2 million tons, showing a decrease of 5.6% and 1.4 billion tons-km, a decline of 4.8%; freight by airway reached 118 thousand tons, down 29.9% and 1.6 billion tons-km, down 47.9%.

+ Carriage of passengers
+ Carriage of cargos
 
e) International visitors to Vietnam

International visitors to Vietnam in the first five months of the year was estimated at 3,735.7 thousand arrivals, moving down by 48.8% compared to the same period last year, of which visitors coming by airway gained 3,037.7 thousand arrivals, accounting for 81.3% of the number of international visitors to Vietnam, dropping by 46.9%; visitors coming by road achieved 553.8 thousand arrivals, accounting for 14.8%  and going down by 61.6%; visitors coming by seaway witnessed a rise of 11% with 144.3 thousand arrivals, accounting for 3.9%.

In five months, visitors coming from Asia recorded 2,721.4 thousand arrivals, accounting for 72.9% of total international visitors to Vietnam, decreasing by 51.4% over the identical period last year. Visitors from Europe in the first five months of the year reached an estimate of 665.6 thousand arrivals, down 35.7% from the same period last year. Visitors from America gained 234.3 thousand arrivals, down 46.9% over the corresponding period last year. Visitors from Australia achieved 102.3 thousand arrivals, dropping by 47.9%. Visitors from Africa reached 12 thousand arrivals, reducing by 38.8% over the same period in 2019.

+ International visitors to Vietnam

7. Social issues

a) People’s life and social security

Generally, in the first five months of the year, the whole country recorded 16.5 thousand households suffering from food shortage, down 73.9% compared to the same period last year, corresponding to 66.5 thousand persons suffering from this difficulty, down 73.9%. 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 733.6 tons of rice.

b) Epidemic diseases and food poisoning

Generally, in the first five months of 2020, the whole country had 26.9 thousand cases of hemorrhagic fever (3 cases died); 4,921 cases of hand, foot, mouth disease; 186 cases of virus encephalitis (1 death); 6 cases of meningococcal disease; and  2,312 cases of scarlet fever suspected for measles, of which 195 cases were positive for measles.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop complicatedly. In Vietnam, as of 6 am on May 27, 2020, there were 327 confirmed cases (278 cases have been cured).

Total number of alive HIV-infected persons over the country as of May 18, 2020 was 210.5 thousand persons and 97,154 cases turned to AIDS. The number of persons died of HIV/AIDS as of above time-point was 98,705 persons.

Generally for the first five months of 2020, the whole country recorded 31 cases of food poisoning with 694 poisoned persons (15 deaths).

c) Traffic accidents

Generally for the first five months of 2020, 5,508 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, including 3,142 cases of traffic accidents from less serious to become and 2,366 cases of traffic collisions, causing 2,667 deaths, 1,547 injuries and 2,418 minor injuries. Compared to the same period last year, the number of traffic accidents in the first five months of 2020 declined by 18.7% (number of traffic accidents of differently serious levels reduced by 13.5%; number of traffic collisions decreased by 24.8%); number of death fell by 14.7%; number of injuries went down by 23.6% and number of minor injuries dropped by 25.1%. On average, there were 36 traffic accidents occurred nationwide each day in the first five months of 2020, including 21 traffic accidents from less serious to become and 15 traffic collisions, causing 17 deaths, 10 injuries and 16 minor injuries.

d) Damages caused by natural calamity

Generally for the first five months of 2020, natural calamity caused 24 deaths, 96 injuries, made 101 thousand ha of rice and nearly 26.5 thousand ha of crops damaged, 606 houses collapsed;  over 59.9 thousand houses unroofed and damaged. The total loss in asset caused by natural disasters was estimated at nearly VND 4 trillion.

e) Environmental pollution, fire and explosion

Generally, the first five months of this year found 4,151 cases of violating regulations of environment protection over the country, of which 3,661 cases were treated with total fine of VND 78 billion.

Generally, there were 1,259 fire and explosion cases in the whole country in five months, causing 41 deaths and 93 injuries, with an estimated damage of VND 297.8 billion.

GENERAL STATISTICS OFFICE

[1] Source: National Business Registration Information System, Agency for Business Registration, Ministry of Planning and Investment.

[2] The data for May 2020 was estimated by the inter-sectoral group including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the State Bank, the General Department of Vietnam Customs - the Ministry of Finance and the General Statistics Office basing on export-import turnover data of the first period in a month (from day 01 to 15) collected by the General Department of Vietnam Customs combined with market information, proportion and trend of exports and imports of commodities.

[3] Of which, Vietnam’s trade surplus with EU gained US$ 7.1 billion, down 22.5% from the same period last year; trade deficit with China was US$ 12.6 billion, down 22.4%; trade deficit with South Korea recorded US$ 9.6 billion, down 15.6%; trade deficit with ASEAN was US$ 2.4  billion, down 16.9%.