Hanoi (VNA) – A key highlight of Vietnam’s economic performance in 2025 was the strong acceleration of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth across many localities, with Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh emerging as national leaders, recording growth rates of between 10.27% and 11.89%, well above the national average.
Data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on January 5 show that these high-performing localities share common strengths, including development strategies tailored to local conditions and comparative advantages, solid industrial and service bases, and effective institutional reforms that have improved the investment and business environment and strengthened governance efficiency. Strong mobilisation of domestic resources, coupled with the attraction and effective use of investment capital, particularly foreign direct investment (FDI), has been a key driver of robust GRDP growth.
Hanoi ranked 16th nationwide with GRDP growth of 8.16%, while HCM City placed 21st at 7.53%. Despite falling outside the top 10, these two major cities, together with Hai Phong, Dong Nai and Bac Ninh, continued to act as core pillars of the national economy, making the largest contributions to overall GDP growth. As the five largest local economies, they accounted for 55.4% of national growth in 2025.
Hanoi and HCM City alone contributed a combined 36.1 percentage points to national growth, with HCM City maintaining a GRDP increase of 7.53%.
Hai Phong posted GRDP growth of 11.81%, contributing 8.58% to national growth and reinforcing its position as a leading growth pole with consistently strong and stable performance. Dong Nai recorded an estimated GRDP increase of 9.63%, contributing 5.49% and reaffirming its role as a key industrial centre in the Southeast.
Bac Ninh ranked fifth among the 34 localities with estimated GRDP growth of 10.3%, driven largely by its core industry, manufacturing of electronic products, computers and optical products, which expanded by more than 20%.
By region, the Red River Delta remained the country’s most important growth engine, with estimated GRDP growth of 9.74%, exceeding the national average and contributing 36.41% to overall growth, the highest among all regions. The performance highlighted the pivotal role of major economic hubs, the processing and manufacturing sector, and modern services, as well as spillover effects from leading localities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh.
The northern midland and mountainous region recorded estimated growth of 8.53%, contributing 7.77% to national growth, while the north-central region expanded by an estimated 8.37%, contributing 6.47%, supported mainly by manufacturing, energy, and the recovery of tourism and services.
The south-central region and the Central Highlands saw estimated growth of 7.74%, contributing 9.56%, driven by manufacturing, renewable energy, high-tech agriculture and tourism. The Southeast remained the country’s largest economic region, with estimated GRDP growth of 7.98% and a contribution of 31.4%, reflecting its concentration of major industrial, service, logistics and financial centres. The Mekong Delta posted estimated growth of 7.24%, contributing 8.39%, maintaining relative stability despite slower growth compared with other regions.
Commenting on the results, NSO Director General Nguyen Thi Huong said the figures point to a positive recovery trend, while also highlighting persistent challenges related to regional disparities, growth quality, sustainability and long-term competitiveness.
She noted that major localities such as Hanoi, HCM City, Binh Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh recorded markedly higher growth, whereas many mountainous areas, the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta lagged behind. This imbalance reflects uneven resource allocation and development opportunities, raising concerns about widening regional gaps.
Huong also pointed out that GRDP growth in many localities remains heavily dependent on traditional sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and wholesale and retail trade, while innovation, science and technology, and high value-added services have yet to become the main growth engines.
Although the overall picture remains encouraging, she stressed that the wide gap between the leading group, with growth nearing 12%, and the lower-performing group, at around 6%, calls for targeted solutions. The NSO therefore emphasised the need for more balanced regulation and resource allocation to ensure that slower-growing localities are not left behind./.
