Vietnam Economic Times December 15, 2025

Dear readers,

The year 2025 will wrap up in just over 2 weeks, marking the end of Vietnam’s five-year socio-economic development plan (2021-2025), with the major achievements secured providing a solid foundation for the country to enter a new era of development under the direction set by the upcoming 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

In this final year of the five-year development journey, Vietnam continued to be buffeted by headwinds from external factors and domestic difficulties, particularly natural disasters like storms, floods, and landslides that in many localities were at historic levels, causing severe damage to life and property.

In this context, the Party, State, and people of Vietnam, including its business community, with strong determination to overcome all difficulties, have surmounted the obstacles and spared no effort to fundamentally achieve the socio-economic goals for 2025 and the entire five-year 2021-2025 period, outlined by the 13th National Party Congress.

The most evident achievement is macro-economic stability, controlled inflation, and major economic balances being ensured.

Total import-export turnover for the year is forecast to reach a record $900 billion, with turnover in the first eleven months of 2025 standing at nearly $840 billion and a trade surplus posted of some $20.5 billion. Registered FDI in the eleven-month period reached nearly $33.7 billion, an increase of 7.4 per cent compared to the same period of 2025. The socio-economic achievements of the first eleven months have created a basis to believe that national GDP growth this year could reach 8 per cent or higher.

The Politburo issued Conclusion No. 203-KL/TW on November 4, on continuing to implement tasks and solutions to achieve the highest possible fulfillment of 2025 growth targets and to create a solid foundation for sustainable double-digit growth in the time ahead.

Later, on November 13, the National Assembly approved Resolution No. 244/2025/QH15 on the Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2026, setting the economic growth target for 2026 at 10 per cent or more, with GDP per capita reaching $5,400-5,500.

Politburo Conclusion No. 203 and National Assembly Resolution No. 244 represent strong political determination and reflect Vietnam’s high expectations for a new phase of development, starting from the 14th National Party Congress, which is scheduled to take place from January 19-25, 2026.

To further clarify the orientation for Vietnam’s socio-economic development in the new era, the Vietnam’s Economy in 2025 and Prospects in 2026 Forum (VEPF 2025), with the theme “Vietnam’s rapid and sustainable economic development and green transition in the digital age”, will be co-organized on December 16 by Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam / Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy and relevant agencies, under the direction of the government and the Central Commission for Policy and Strategy.

To amplify the theme of the VEPF 2025, our Cover Story in this edition looks back on the socio-economic development situation this year, with analyses, assessments, and evaluations of the causes of problems and shortcomings, affirming the achievements not only in 2025 but also in the entire 2021-2025 period, considering this to be a solid foundation to propel the country into the new development phase (2026-2030), under the direction of the resolutions the 14th National Party Congress will outline.

Warmest regards.

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD