FDI inflows rise 55 4 per cent on year

Vietnam's foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows surged 55.4 percent year-on-year to $40.63 billion by August 31, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance. The increase stemmed from three components: newly registered capital, additional capital injected into existing projects, and foreign investors' capital contributions and share purchases.

In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam granted investment licenses to 2,771 new foreign-invested projects, with a total registered capital of $21.72 billion, marking a 9.4 percent rise in projects and a staggering 96.8 percent growth in registered capital compared to the same period last year. Manufacturing and processing remained the dominant sector, attracting $12.15 billion in newly registered capital, or 55.9 percent of the total.

The sector also accounted for $3.13 billion in electricity, gas, water supply and air-conditioning production and distribution, which was 14.4 percent of the total. Real estate business ranked second with $5.32 billion, or 15.7 percent, while other sectors attracted $8.42 billion, or 24.8 percent. Disbursed FDI in Vietnam also posted positive results, with estimates at $17.25 billion during the period, up 12 percent year-on-year.

Manufacturing and processing continued to account for the majority of disbursed FDI, at $14.24 billion, or 82.6 percent of the total. Singapore was the largest source of newly registered FDI, contributing $7.62 billion, or 35.1 percent of the total, followed by South Korea with $5.67 billion, or 26.1 percent. The figures underscore Vietnam's growing appeal as a destination for high-quality foreign resources, with the country shifting its focus towards developing a more integrated foreign-invested economic sector.