Economic Overview

For the latest updates on the key economic responses from governments to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, please consult the IMF's policy tracking platform Policy Responses to COVID-19.

Vietnam is one of the fastest growing countries in the world and its economy has shown resilience to trade wars and slower growth rates in neighbouring China. This accelerated economic pace is due to labour shifting from agriculture to manufacturing and services, private investment, a strong tourist sector, higher wages, and accelerating urbanisation. Exports constitute an increasingly significant contribution to Vietnam's GDP and certain sectors, such as industrial production, textile, electronics and seafood production have been growing rapidly. Growth reached a 10-year high of 7.2% in 2019 and due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, dropped but remained in positive territory in 2020 with 2.9%, 2021 with 2.6% and then 2022 with 7%. According to the updated IMF forecasts from January 2023, GDP growth in Vietnam is expected to reach 6.2% in 2023 and 6.6% in 2024, subject to the post-pandemic global economic recovery.

According to the IMF, government debt reached 41.7% of GDP in 2020, 39.7% in 2021 and 40.2% in 2022. It is expected to stabilise at 40.5% and 40.8% in 2022 and 2023. This limited increase is a result of tightening monetary policies and limits on new government guarantees. Inflation reached 1.8% in 2021 from 3.2% in 2020, and 3.8% in 2022. It is forecast to average 3.9% in 2023 and 3.5% in 2024 by the latest World Economic Outlook of the IMF (January 2023). Diversified trade structure, rising wages and domestic consumption are the backbone of the Vietnamese economic growth. Nonetheless, labour costs remain competitive, which help attract foreign investments to the country. Economic challenges include lack of infrastructure, business climate shortcomings, pending public sector reforms, growing inequality, a weak banking system. Tax reforms and privatisation of state-owned companies helped compensate the budget deficit in 2021 which stayed below 4% of GDP (Financial Post, 2022). Around 40% of Vietnam's debt has medium or long-term maturity, a significant risk considering 40% of said debt is denominated in foreign currencies and represent a currency risk. Nonetheless, public authorities continue to intervene in both directions to keep the Dong within a narrow band against major international currencies and accrue foreign reserves.

The unemployment rate in Vietnam remains particularly low. It reached 2.7% in 2021 from 2.5% in 2020 and 2.4% in 2022. It is expected to reach 2.3% in 2022 and 2023 (IMF, January 2023). Social challenges include poverty reduction, improving higher education, and allowing freedom of the press. Transparency International ranks Vietnam as 77th out of 180 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, from the 87th spot a year earlier.

Foreign Trade

Vietnam is one of the most open economies to international trade in Asia. Vietnamese trade represented 186% of GDP in 2021 (World Bank, 2023). Vietnam exports transmission electronic apparatus and telephones (22% of all exports in 2021), electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies (4.3%), footwear, technology products and automatic data processing machines. Imports include electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies (14.5% of all imports in 2021), electronic apparatus, semiconductors and printed circuits (Comtrade, 2023).

The main trading partners are the United States (28.7% of all exports in 2021), China (16.7%), South Korea (6.5%) and Japan (6%). Its main providers are China (33.2% of all imports), South Korea (17%), Japan (6.8%) and the United States (4.6%). The Vietnamese economic model remains heavily dependent on foreign investment and exports, especially to the United States and China. In recent years, Vietnam has demonstrated strong commitment to trade liberalisation. It joined the WTO in 2007 and signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the ASEAN countries and the United States. Vietnam also enjoys a cooperation agreement with the EU. A free trade agreement between both parties was ratified by the European Parliament in February 2020 and is expected to enter into force soon. A Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - the world’s largest trade agreement - was signed by Vietnam in 2020, which includes 16 countries in total: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand.

The value of exports of goods was estimated at 335.92 billion USD in 2021, up from 282.72 billion USD in 2020. The imports of goods amounted to 331.58 billion USD in 2021, up from 262.75 billion USD in 2020. The trade surplus reached 17.7 billion USD in 2021, against 30.7 billion in the previous year. Vietnam reported a 18.8% growth in exports in 2021, as it saw its trade surplus with the United States, its largest export market, widening to an all time high 94.9 billion USD in 2022 (NASDAQ, 2023). Vietnam's total exports in 2021 came in at 402.89 billion USD, while its total imports rose 26.5% to 350.98 billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus including services of 1.963 billion USD (WTO, 2023). Vietnamese trade is characterised by some geographic inequality: the country shows a trade surplus with Western countries, but a series of deficits with some of its Asian neighbours. To achieve further progress, the country must continue to increase the value of exports and achieve product diversification. 

COVID-19 Country Response

COVID-19 epidemic evolution

To find out about the latest status of the COVID19 pandemic evolution and the most up-to-date statistics on the COVID19 disease in Vietnam, please visit the Vietnamese government platform with the official data. Official information on the progress of the epidemic in Vietnam is consolidated by the Ministry of Health. The agency provides a daily epidemiological update, which includes key national figures.

For the international outlook you can consult the latest situation reports published by the World Health Organisation as well as the global daily statistics on the coronavirus pandemic evolution including data on confirmed cases and deaths by country.

Sanitary measures

To find out about the latest public health situation in Vietnamese and the current sanitary measures in vigour, please consult the Vietnamese government platform on COVID-19 including the up-to-date information on the containment measures put in place and public health recommendations.

Travel restrictions

The COVID-19 situation, including the spread of new variants, evolves rapidly and differs from country to country. All travelers need to pay close attention to the conditions at their destination before traveling. Regularly updated information for all countries with regards to Covid-19 related travel restrictions in place including entry regulations, flight bans, test requirements and quarantine is available on TravelDoc Infopage.
It is also highly recommended to consult COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map provided and updated on the daily basis by IATA.
The US government website of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention provides COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination.
The UK Foreign travel advice also provides travelling abroad advice for all countries, including the latest information on coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings.

Import & export restrictions

For the information on all the measures applicable to movement of goods during the period of sanitary emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak (including eventual restrictions on imports and exports, if applicable), please consult the portals of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the General Department of Customs.

For a general overview of trade restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic, please consult the section dedicated to Vietnam on the International Trade Centre's COVID-19 Temporary Trade Measures webpage.

Economic recovery plan

For the information on the economic recovery scheme put in place by the Vietnamese government to address the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the Vietnamese economy, please visit the website of the Vietnamese Ministry of Economy and Trade website. The information on the French economic emergency plan is available here.

For the general overview of the key economic policy responses to the COVID-19 outbreak (fiscal, monetary and  macroeconomic) taken by the French government to limit the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,  please consult the section dedicated to France in the IMF’s Policy Tracker platform.

Support plan for businesses

For the information on the local business support scheme established by the Vietnamese government to help small and  medium-sized companies to deal with the economic impacts of the COVID19 epidemic on their activity, please consult  the Resolution No. 42/NQ-CP issued by the Vietnamese Government in April (in Vietnamese).

For a general overview of international SME support policy responses to the COVID-19 outbreak refer to the World Bank's Map of SME-Support Measures in Response to COVID-19.

Support plan for exporters

To find out about the support plan for exporters put in place by the Vietnamese government, please consult the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade websites.