Việt Nam’s economy expanded by 9.95% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, accelerating from 8.15% in the first quarter and 8.81% in the second quarter, according to the National Statistics Office. Growth for the first nine months reached 9.01%, supported by industry and construction, services, investment and domestic demand. Industry and construction expanded by 11.21% over the nine-month period, while services grew by 8.69%. The industrial sector alone recorded value-added growth of about 11.02%, reflecting stronger production, the commissioning of large projects, recovering orders and faster public investment implementation.
Investment remained a major growth driver. Total realised investment at current prices reached approximately VND 3,110 trillion during January-September, up 15.1% from a year earlier. State-budget investment reached VND 661.8 trillion, an increase of 19% and equivalent to 59.9% of the annual plan. Retail sales of goods and consumer-service revenue at current prices also rose strongly, increasing by 13.4% year on year to VND 5,925.7 trillion. These figures indicate that the expansion was not concentrated in a single sector but was underpinned by both investment and domestic consumption.
External trade also continued to grow rapidly. Total merchandise trade reached US$888.02 billion in the first nine months, up 30.4% year on year. Exports increased by 24.5% to US$434.30 billion, while imports rose by 36.7% to US$453.72 billion. The higher import growth resulted in a cumulative trade deficit of US$19.42 billion, although the strong import demand was closely linked to machinery, equipment and production inputs. For businesses following Việt Nam’s market, the latest data point to continued expansion in manufacturing capacity and domestic activity, alongside a high level of demand for imported inputs and capital goods.