First half of 2025: Vietnam receives 21.52 billion USD of foreign investment
As of 30 June 2025, total foreign investment - including newly registered capital, adjusted capital, and capital contributions/share purchases - reached 21.52 billion USD, up 32.6% year-on-year. Out of 72 countries and territories with newly licensed projects, Singapore led the way with 2.41 billion USD, accounting for 25.9% of newly registered capital.
Newly registered capital accounted for nearly 9.3 billion USD across 1,988 new projects. Meanwhile, adjusted capital reached approximately 8.95 billion USD through 826 existing projects and investment via capital contributions and share purchases totalled nearly 3.3 billion USD.
The Ministry of Finance is drafting policies to establish specialised AI and smart industrial parks to raise the technological profile of FDI projects and create spillover effects for local businesses.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Construction, Vietnam’s corporate bond market, particularly in the real estate sector, experienced notable fluctuations in Q1.
Vietnam secured nearly 13.82 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first four months of 2025, marking a year-on-year surge of 39.9%, according to the Ministry of Finance’s Foreign Investment Agency.
At the invitation of Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse led a high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend the expanded BRICS Summit 2025 and conduct bilateral activities in Brazil from July 4-8. This marks Vietnam’s first participation in a BRICS Summit as a Partner Country — a multilateral cooperation mechanism among emerging economies with growing economic and political influence.
The total export value of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products was estimated at 33.5 billion USD in the first six months of this year, up 14.3% compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
US travel magazine Travel + Leisure has revealed the Vietnam winners of its Luxury Awards Asia-Pacific 2025, spotlighting the country’s best hotels and resorts as voted by readers.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse will lead a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam to attend the expanded BRICS summit and engage in bilateral activities in Brazil from July 4 – 8. Vietnam and Brazil officially established diplomatic relations on May 8, 1989. Over 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Vietnam-Brazil relations have been continuously strengthened and developed.
As of June 28, a total of 264,522 dilapidated and makeshift houses have been eliminated nationwide through support programmes. Of these, 229,328 houses have been completed and handed over to beneficiaries, contributing significantly to improved living conditions for disadvantaged households across the country.
According to the Politburo’s resolution on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, Vietnam has set ambitious targets for 2030. The country aims to achieve advanced capabilities in science, technology, and innovation across several key fields, ranking among the leading nations in the upper-middle-income group.
From July 1, 2025, Vietnam officially implements the two-tier local administration model nationwide, comprising the provincial and commune levels. This marks a significant milestone in the country’s administrative reform process, setting the course for sustainable and long-term development.
On the morning of June 30, localities across the country simultaneously held ceremonies to announce resolutions and decisions issued by the Party Central Committee and local authorities on the merger of provincial- and commune-level administrative units, the establishment of new Party organisations, and the appointment of personnel to Party committees, People’s Councils, People’s Committees, and Fatherland Front Committees at all levels — from provinces and cities to communes, wards and special zones.
On June 5, 2025, the Michelin Guide Vietnam held its annual award ceremony to honour culinary establishments in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. This year, nine restaurants across the country have earned the prestigious one-star MICHELIN distinction – a mark of high-quality cuisine, well worth a stop!
Vietnam’s North-South railway, known as the Reunification Express, has been named among the world's 24 most incredible train journeys to book in 2025, according to Australian travel magazine Lonely Planet.
The "Vietnam Family Festival 2025," hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, runs from June 25–30 in Buon Ma Thuot city in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Featuring lively activities and nationwide participation, the festival celebrates Vietnam Family Day (June 28) with the theme “Happy Families – Prosperous Nation,” promoting awareness of the vital role of families in the country’s development.
Hanoi has fulfilled all criteria as stipulated in Decision No. 321/QD-TTg by the Prime Minister on the conditions for recognising provinces and cities as having completed the task of building new-style rural areas in the 2021–2025 period.
Vietnam has been re-elected for a second consecutive term (2021–2025, 2025–2029) as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Børge Brende- President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is attending the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin and conducting a working visit to China from June 24-27.
Resolution No. 201/2025/QH15 on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for social housing development will be implemented over five years, starting from June 1, 2025. A notable provision of the Resolution is the establishment of the National Housing Fund.
According to digital travel platform Agoda, Vietnam has officially entered the top five most searched Asian destinations by European tourists for summer 2025. This highlights Vietnam’s growing appeal on the Asian travel map during the summer season.
“100 Years of Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press (1925–2025)” is the first photo book dedicated to the history of Vietnam’s revolutionary press, launched on June 10, 2025, in Hanoi. Published in bilingual format, the book features concise articles alongside more than 1,000 rare photos and documents. It serves as a tribute to generations of revolutionary journalists in Vietnam, honouring their significant contributions to the cause of national construction and defence.
The Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), founded by UNESCO in 1961 in Bangkok, brings together 41 member agencies from 35 countries, producing two-thirds of the world’s news output. The Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a member since 1969, has actively contributed to OANA and served on its Executive Board for four consecutive terms since 2013.
