Vietnam sees 33% surge in FDI in H1 2025, manufacturing leads

A total of 1,988 new FDI projects were licensed, representing a 21.7 per cent increase YoY, with newly registered capital reaching nearly $9.3 billion, Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) which comes under the Ministry of Finance said its latest report.

Meanwhile, capital adjustments across 826 existing projects added approximately $8.95 billion—more than double the figure recorded in the first half (H1) of 2024. Additionally, 1,708 transactions involving capital contributions and share purchases were recorded, totalling over $3.28 billion, marking a 73.6 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase, as per Vietnamese media reports.

Manufacturing and processing remained the most attractive sector, drawing close to $12 billion and accounting for over half of the total registered capital.

By number of projects, the manufacturing sector led both in fresh investment and expansion activities, while the wholesale and retail trade sector dominated in equity acquisitions.

Among the 92 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, Singapore topped the list with $4.6 billion, making up 21.4 per cent of total capital, despite a 24.8 per cent year-on-year decline. South Korea followed with over $3 billion—more than twice the figure from the previous year—while China, Japan, and Malaysia also featured among the top five.

Malaysia and Sweden posted significant jumps in their investment rankings. Malaysia rose 20 positions, fuelled by a $1.12 billion capital increase for the Yen So park project in Hanoi. Sweden surged 59 spots, thanks to a new $1 billion polyester recycling complex in Gia Lai Province.

Hanoi led among localities, attracting $3.66 billion in newly registered capital—2.8 times higher than H1 2024—followed by the former Bac Ninh province ($3.15 billion) and the newly merged Ho Chi Minh City region ($2.7 billion).

Vietnamese outbound investment also expanded considerably. Domestic enterprises invested over $487 million abroad in the first six months, more than 3.5 times higher than the same period last year.

The wholesale and retail sector ranked third in attracting the largest share of Vietnamese outbound investment, receiving $76.8 million or 15.8 per cent of the total.

Laos remained the leading destination for Vietnamese capital, with the Philippines and Indonesia following.

As of end-June 2025, Vietnam had 1,916 active overseas investment projects with a cumulative registered capital exceeding $23 billion.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (SG)