Responding to reporters' questions on the international community's assessments of Viet Nam’s economic growth in 2025 and the outlook for 2026 at the ministry's regular press briefing on January 8, Hang noted that amid a complex international environment, sluggish global growth and unprecedented extreme natural disasters at home, Viet Nam has emerged as a “bright spot” for macroeconomic stability and economic growth under the timely, resolute and close leadership of the Party and the Government.
She said that in 2025, Viet Nam’s socio-economic performance hit and surpassed all 15 key targets. The macroeconomy stayed generally stable, inflation was kept in check, growth remained strong, and major economic balances were preserved. The country's GDP growth in the fourth quarter was 8.46%, pushing the annual rate to roughly 8.02%. The economy’s size reached 514 billion USD, ranking 32nd in the world. Per capita income rose to 5,026 USD, up 326 USD from 2024, placing Viet Nam in the upper-middle-income group. Total trade turnover topped 930 billion USD, up 18.2% year-on-year and placing the country among the world’s top 20 trading nations. Disbursed foreign direct investment hit 27.62 billion USD, up 9% and the highest since 2021.
According to the spokeswoman, many economists, foreign investors and international partners regard Viet Nam as one of the outstanding performers against the backdrop of a subdued global economy in recent times. The International Monetary Fund has ranked Viet Nam among the world’s top 10 fastest-growing economies. International observers have praised the continued robust expansion of traditional growth drivers such as trade, investment and tourism, alongside the emergence of new engines, including science and technology, digital transformation, and newly established development models and spaces, which are laying a solid foundation for the country’s next stage of development.
Building on these achievements and opportunities, Hang said Viet Nam will continue to prioritise several key areas in the time ahead. These include improving institutions and laws to ensure transparency, coherence and fairness, continuing to streamline and refine the organisation of the state administrative apparatus, and promoting growth in tandem with maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation and safeguarding major economic balances.
Priority will also be given to establishing a new growth model driven primarily by science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, ensuring progress on strategic infrastructure projects, developing high-quality human resources, and improving living standards while ensuring social security, she added.
