According to the General Statistics Office’s report released on June 6, the CPI in May rose by 0.16 per cent from April, driven mainly by higher prices for housing rent, home repair materials, electricity and dining services. Compared to December 2024, CPI was up 1.53 per cent, and it rose 3.24 per cent year-on-year. The average CPI for the first five months increased by 3.21 per cent.
Of the 11 major categories of goods and services, 10 recorded price hikes in May, while transportation prices declined. Core inflation rose 0.33 per cent month-on-month and 3.33 per cent year-on-year. The average core inflation rate over five months stood at 3.10 per cent, slightly below the overall CPI figure. Gold prices surged by 10.47 per cent in May, while the US dollar index rose by 0.68 per cent.
Trade continued to expand, with total import-export turnover in May reaching USD 78.64 billion, up 5.8 per cent from April and 15.5 per cent from the same month in 2024. For the January to May period, total turnover hit USD 355.79 billion, a 15.7 per cent increase year-on-year. Exports rose by 14 per cent, and imports grew 17.5 per cent, resulting in a trade surplus of USD 4.67 billion.
The United States remained Vietnam’s largest export market with a trade value of USD 57.2 billion, while China was the top source of imports at USD 69.4 billion.
During the first five months, more than 111,800 businesses were newly established or resumed operations, up 11.3 per cent year-on-year, averaging 22,400 per month. Meanwhile, approximately 111,600 businesses exited the market, a 14.4 per cent increase, averaging 22,300 per month.
State budget capital disbursement totalled around VND 221.8 trillion (approximately USD 8.72 billion), representing a 15.3 per cent rise from the same period last year. Registered foreign direct investment (FDI) surged by 51.2 per cent to USD 18.39 billion, with disbursed capital estimated at USD 8.9 billion, up 7.9 per cent. Outbound investment by Vietnamese firms more than doubled to USD 317.3 million.