Vietnam's GDP in the third quarter of 2026 grew by an estimated 9.95% compared to the same period last year. For January-September, growth reached 9.01%. The data was published by the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam on October 3.
Growth rates accelerated throughout the year: in the first quarter, the figure stood at 8.15%, and in the second, 8.81%. The government has set a target to increase GDP by at least 10% for the full year of 2026. According to the Ministry of Finance's estimates presented at the government meeting on October 3, to achieve this result, the economy must grow by 12.5% in the fourth quarter.
Industry, Construction, and Services
Industry and construction made the largest contribution to economic growth in the third quarter. Value added in this sector increased by 12.5%, accounting for 51.57% of the total value-added growth. The services sector grew by 9.54%, while agriculture, forestry, and fishery rose by 4.21%. The Prime Minister of Vietnam announced the goal of achieving double-digit GDP growth in 2026.
Over the nine months, industry and construction grew by 11.21%, services by 8.69%, and the agricultural sector by 4.02%. The industrial production index increased by 12.3% compared to January-September of last year.
Total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue at current prices grew by 13.4%, reaching nearly $228 billion. During the nine months, the country welcomed 17.7 million international tourists, an increase of 14.5% year-on-year.
Investment and Foreign Trade
The total volume of realized investment in the economy at current prices increased by 15.1%. In Hanoi, growth reached 19%, while in Ho Chi Minh City, it was 17.3%.
Registered foreign investment reached $50.36 billion, surging by 76.4%. This figure includes new projects, capital increases for existing projects, and capital contributions and share purchases by foreign investors. The actually disbursed volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) amounted to $21.07 billion, up 12.1% from the same period in 2025.
Foreign trade turnover for January-September reached $888.02 billion, an increase of 30.4%. Exports of goods grew by 24.5% to $434.30 billion, and imports rose by 36.7% to $453.72 billion. The trade deficit stood at $19.42 billion. However, in September, exports exceeded imports by $1.27 billion.
The average consumer price index for the nine months increased by 4.52%, and core inflation stood at 4.26%.
Regional Economic Growth
Over the nine months, 12 out of 34 cities and provinces in Vietnam recorded gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth of at least 10%. The leaders were Quang Ninh (+12.54%), Ha Tinh (+12.36%), Hai Phong (+12.08%), Bac Ninh (+11.81%), and Ninh Binh (+11.31%).
At the government meeting, the Ministry of Finance also reported delays in public investment disbursement as well as challenges regarding site clearance, material supplies, and labor costs for major projects.