Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s investment abroad surged 2.5 times year-on-year in the first five months of 2026, reflecting the growing confidence and international expansion of Vietnamese enterprises, according to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.
During the period, Vietnam's 85 new overseas investment projects were granted investment registration certificates, with total capital reaching 760.8 million USD, up 2.8 times compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, 10 existing projects increased their registered capital by 33.8 million USD, down 18.7% year-on-year.
Overall, Vietnam’s total outbound investment, including newly registered and adjusted capital, amounted to 794.6 million USD, 2.5 times higher than the figure recorded a year earlier.
Of the total, the construction sector attracted 178.8 million USD, accounting for 22.5% of total outbound investment. It was followed by electricity, gas, hot water, steam and air-conditioning production and distribution with 163.8 million USD, making up 20.6%; and transportation and warehousing with 150.5 million USD, or 18.9%.
In the first five months of 2026, Vietnamese investments were channelled into 33 countries and territories. Laos remained the largest recipient, attracting 199.5 million USD, or 25.1% of the total. It was followed by Kyrgyzstan with 149.9 million USD or 18.9%; the United Kingdom with 82.8 million USD or 10.4%; Kazakhstan with 36 million USD, or 4.5%; Cambodia with 32.9 million USD, or 4.1%; the US with 31.9 million USD, or 4%; and the British Virgin Islands with 30.1 million USD, representing 3.8%.
According to economic experts, the strong growth of outbound investment in recent years demonstrates the increasing proactiveness of Vietnamese businesses in seeking opportunities beyond the domestic market. Notably, a number of overseas projects undertaken by Vietnamese enterprises have generated significant economic and social benefits and received positive assessments from host countries.
Alongside rising overseas investment, foreign investment inflows into Vietnam also maintained robust growth. In the first five months of 2026, total registered foreign direct investment (FDI), including newly registered capital, additional capital for existing projects, and capital contributions and share purchases by foreign investors, reached 24.81 billion USD, up 34.9% year-on-year.
Specifically, 1,576 new projects were licensed during the period with total registered capital of 14.84 billion USD, up 1.7% in project numbers and more than doubling in registered capital compared to the same period last year.
The manufacturing and processing industry continued to attract the largest share of newly registered FDI, drawing 9.64 billion USD and accounting for 65% of the total. It was followed by electricity, gas, water supply and air-conditioning production and distribution with 2.45 billion USD, representing 16.5%, while the remaining sectors accounted for 2.75 billion USD, or 18.5% of the total./.
