VIETNAM’S H1 GDP GROWS 8.18 PERCENT, BELOW DOUBLE-DIGIT TARGET

Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 8.18 percent in the first half of 2026 from a year earlier, below the government’s double-digit growth target, the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.

Workers work at a plant in Vietnam. Photo: N. Kh.

Second-quarter GDP expanded 8.39 percent from a year earlier, accelerating from the first quarter and lifting first-half growth above the 7.63 percent recorded in the same period of 2025, the agency said at a press briefing in Hanoi.

Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries grew 3.87 percent in the first six months, while industry and construction expanded 9.81 percent and services rose 8.09 percent.

Industrial output remained the main growth driver, with industrial value-added increasing 9.86 percent from a year earlier, led by manufacturing, which rose 10.23 percent.

Electricity production and distribution grew 9.34 percent, mining expanded 6.67 percent, and construction increased 9.51 percent, with trade, transport, and tourism supporting growth in the services sector amid stronger consumer demand.

Consumer prices rose 4.38 percent in the first half from a year earlier, while second-quarter inflation reached 5.25 percent.

Merchandise exports rose 21.0 percent to more than US$266.5 billion in the first six months, whereas imports increased 33.4 percent to more than $283.1 billion.

Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of over $16.6 billion in the first half, compared with a surplus of more than $7.9 billion a year earlier.

The domestic economic sector posted a trade deficit of above $24.9 billion, while the foreign-invested sector, including crude oil, recorded a surplus of $8.3 billion.

The agency also said 169,800 enterprises were newly established or resumed operations in the first half, up 11.2 percent from a year earlier, with nearly 25,200 businesses exiting the market on average each month.

A business survey by the agency showed 36.3 percent of enterprises said business conditions improved in the second quarter from the first quarter, while 39.4 percent expected conditions to improve further in the third quarter.

Source: Tuổi Trẻ News