HIGH GROWTH AND MACROECONOMIC STABILITY KEY TARGETS IN 2026
Pursuing high economic growth is an urgent task in the coming period, but experts have warned that Việt Nam must manage policies carefully to avoid sacrificing macroeconomic stability for growth targets, particularly as inflation risks rise alongside continued credit expansion. In 2025, Việt Nam recorded GDP growth of 8.03 per cent while inflation was kept at 3.3 per cent.
HÀ NỘI’S AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TOP US$2 BILLION IN 2025
Hà Nội’s agricultural and forestry exports were estimated to surpass US$2 billion in 2025, maintaining steady growth and reinforcing the capital city’s role in the national agricultural supply chain, according to the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment. Key agricultural and food products accounted for around US$1.4 billion of the total export value, representing the largest share of the sector’s turnover.
RETAIL MARKET SET TO WELCOME A NEW WAVE OF INVESTMENT
From corner convenience stores to sprawling malls, Việt Nam’s retail scene is racing ahead and global investors are lining up to cash in. The surge is most visible in HCM City and Hà Nội, where chain stores are multiplying fast, but the momentum now stretches nationwide as big names commit billions of dollars to a market they see as a long-term growth engine.
EXPORT GROWTH TARGET OF 15-16% SET FOR 2026
Việt Nam is targeting export growth of around 15-16 per cent in 2026 as it seeks to support economic expansion in the first year of its new five-year socio-economic development phase, a senior trade official has said. Nguyễn Anh Sơn, director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Import-Export Department, said the target was set under a Government resolution outlining key tasks and solutions for implementing the 2026 socio-economic development plan and State budget.
E-COMMERCE TOPS 10% OF RETAIL SALES IN VIETNAM
Vietnam’s e-commerce market reached about US$31 billion in 2025, accounting for roughly 11% of total retail sales of consumer goods and services, crossing the 10% mark for the first time. The figures were released at the 2026 E-commerce Forum held on February 2 by the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
RICE EXPORTS EXPECTED TO REACH 7.73 MILLION TONNES IN 2026
Việt Nam could export an estimated volume of 7.73 million tonnes of rice in 2026, with the bulk of supply coming from the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. In a recent document sent to the Ministry of Industry and Trade as basis for managing rice exports in 2026, the ministry pointed out that the total rice planting area nationwide dropped by around 36,100ha to 7.09 million ha last year.
INDUSTRY AND TRADE SECTOR TARGETS OVER 10% GROWTH IN 2026
At the ministry’s regular press conference for the fourth quarter of 2025, held on January 29, Mai Thu Hiền, deputy head of the Department of Planning and Finance under the MOIT, said Việt Nam’s economic growth last year strengthened quarter by quarter across most sectors. GDP rose by 7 per cent in the first quarter, 8.16 per cent in the second quarter, 8.25 per cent in the third quarter and 8.46 per cent in the fourth quarter.
VĨNH LONG IDENTIFIES NEW GROWTH DRIVERS
Vĩnh Long Province aims for economic growth of 10 per cent this year and per capita income of VNĐ96.62 million (US$3,676). The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province also targets the digital economy to contribute about 8.05 per cent of output, budget revenues of VNĐ22.6 trillion (US$860 million) and total investment of around VNĐ79 trillion ($3 billion).
