According to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, more than 24,500 businesses resumed operations during the month, up 146.2 per cent month on month and 7.6 per cent year on year, bringing the total number of newly established and reactivated firms to 48,700, a year-on-year increase of 45.6 per cent, the office said.
On average, over 1,500 companies joined the market each day last month, reflecting the business community’s expectation for economic recovery and growth in 2026.
Besides, the newly established firms registered VND 180.9 trillion (USD 6.97 billion) in capital and nearly 108,200 employees, up 92.3 per cent and 32.7 per cent from a year earlier, respectively.
Despite the increase in business formation, average registered capital per new firm fell to VND 7.5 billion, down 22.6 per cent from the previous month and 15.2 per cent from the same period last year.
Additional capital injected by existing firms approximated VND 358.1 trillion, a decline of 2.5 per cent from January 2025.
By sector, new registrations rose across the board. Notably, the accommodation and food service sector recorded 1,107 new companies, shooting up 224.6 per cent year on year, the fastest pace among all sectors.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries witnessed 304 new firms, up 169 per cent from a year earlier, while the construction and real estate sectors saw respective surges of 92 per cent and 128.9 per cent. The services sector added nearly 18,400 new firms, shooting up almost 130 per cent.
The wholesale, retail, and automobile, motorcycle repair sector posted the largest number of newly established firms, 11,290, up 186 per cent, statistics show.
However, signs of strain persisted. Almost 54,300 businesses registered temporary suspensions in January, 11.8 times more than the previous month and up 2.8 per cent year on year.
More than 7,300 firms ceased operations while awaiting dissolution procedures, down 42.1 per cent month on month but up 109.1 per cent year on year. Besides, 4,609 completed dissolution, down 8.6 per cent month on month but up 128.1 per cent year on year, according to the office.