Strong attraction and disbursement of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025 have underlined Vietnam’s status as a safe and attractive investment destination, with inflows in 2026 also expected to remain robust.
Amid a global decline in FDI, Vietnam remained a stable and sustainable destination for international investors in 2025. Total registered capital, including newly licensed and adjusted projects as well as capital contributions and share purchases, exceeded USD 38.4 billion, up 0.5 per cent from 2024.
Disbursed capital reached USD 27.6 billion, up 9 per cent year on year and the highest level in the past five years.
According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance, newly registered FDI fell 12.2 per cent compared with 2024, while adjusted capital rose 0.8 per cent and capital contributions and share purchases surged by 54.8 per cent.
New investors were more cautious in launching projects amid global market volatility, but existing projects expanded strongly through capital increases, equity injections and mergers and acquisitions.
Commenting on Vietnam’s FDI performance, Nguyen Quoc Viet, a public policy expert at the University of Economics under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the strong rise in disbursed capital, particularly additional funding for ongoing projects, reflected sustained confidence among international investors.
He said the results also highlighted the benefits of Vietnam’s deeper integration into global production and value chains, as investors expanded operations to capitalise on supply chain shifts and the recovery in global demand. The trend, he added, signalled a qualitative shift in both production and the wider economy.
New FDI in 2025 was concentrated mainly in processing and manufacturing, particularly high-tech sectors such as semiconductors, electronics and electrical equipment, which accounted for more than 80 per cent of the total. These industries also dominate exports, with foreign-invested enterprises contributing about 78 per cent of Vietnam’s export turnover.
Macroeconomic indicators further reflected investor confidence. Industrial production maintained strong growth, with a surge of 9.9 per cent in the final quarter of 2025, while the processing and manufacturing sector expanded by nearly 11 per cent. The purchasing managers’ index rebounded sharply towards the end of the year, suggesting investor optimism had outweighed concerns over global trade risks and reciprocal tariffs.
Vietnam also maintained a stable macroeconomic foundation, with controlled exchange rates, average inflation of about 3.3 per cent, below the target set by the National Assembly, and total trade turnover exceeding USD 930 billion.
Viet said determination to achieve breakthroughs in infrastructure development and institutional reform in 2025, through faster public investment disbursement and streamlined administrative procedures, had helped drive new FDI registrations and additional capital injections.
Looking ahead, he said prospects for 2026 were very positive as key laws and resolutions passed in 2025 begin to take effect. Vietnam’s role in shifting global supply chains, combined with macroeconomic stability, a secure political and social environment and an open foreign policy, continues to enhance its appeal.
Vietnam’s workforce, with improving quality, competitive costs and growing capacity to meet supply chain shifts, also remains a key advantage, alongside ongoing institutional reforms to improve the investment and business climate.
Investor sentiment was further reinforced by the Business Confidence Index released on January 13, 2026 by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, which rose to 80 points, the highest level in seven years.
EuroCham chairman Bruno Jaspaert said the result showed confidence grounded in delivery, with factories operating, orders returning and investments being executed. He added that Vietnam was rapidly transforming into a powerful growth engine, on track to rank among the top three economies in ASEAN.
Vietnam’s appeal was also reflected in survey results showing that 87 per cent of European businesses would recommend the country as an investment destination, with the highest confidence reported among large-scale companies.