Vietnam's economy experienced robust growth in the first quarter, with an increase of 7.83% year-on-year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) announced today. This marks the highest growth rate in 16 years.
The industrial, construction, and service sectors continue to hold the largest share, serving as the economy's mainstay.
Among these, the service sector contributed the most to the economy's added value, exceeding 50.32%. The GSO reported that increased consumer demand during the Lunar New Year and a surge in international visitors to Vietnam contributed to the strong growth of the trade and service industries. As a result, the added value of this sector rose by 8.18% compared to the previous year.
Industry and construction maintained a positive growth trend, with construction activities improving due to accelerated public investment. The added value for the entire industrial sector increased by 9.01% over three months, with the processing and manufacturing industry being the growth driver, expanding by 9.73%.
Similarly, the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector experienced stable growth. The added value for this sector increased by 3.36% in the first quarter.
Regarding the economic structure, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries accounted for 10.89%; industry and construction for 37.15%; and services for 43.45%. This structure is similar to the same period last year.
The first quarter also saw bustling import and export activities, totaling over 249.5 billion USD. This represents a 23% increase year-on-year, with exports rising by 19.1% and imports by 27%. The merchandise trade balance reverted to a deficit of 3.64 billion USD.
In the first three months of the year, 96,000 new businesses were registered nationwide and resumed operations, an increase of 31.7% compared to the same period last year. This means over 32,000 businesses were established or reactivated each month.
However, the number of businesses closing or dissolving also increased significantly. On average, 30,600 businesses exited the market each month. The total additional registered capital injected into the economy in Q1/2026 was over 1.3 quadrillion dong, a 5.1% decrease compared to Q1/2025.
Phuong Dung
