2018 is considered a successful year in controlling inflation as the average consumer price index (CPI) rises by 3.54% from 2017 and 2.98% from last December, meeting the CPI growth target of under 4%.
The information was released at a press conference of the General Statistics Office (GSO) in Hanoi on December 27.
Director of the GSO’s Price Statistics Department Do Thi Ngoc pointed out several factors that lead to price hike, including the scheduled increases of medical service prices, tuition fees, and the region-based minimum wage for employees at businesses that has subsequently led to higher prices of household appliances and house repair, electricity and water equipment installment and repair, and domestic help services.
Other contributors to the CPI expansion include price rises of food, public transport services, gas, house rental, petrol and tourism services.
GSO Director General Nguyen Bich Lam said sectors and authorities at all levels have actively taken measures to keep the CPI expansion at less than 4% as targeted by the National Assembly.
In 2018, the US Federal Reserve raised the benchmark interest rate four times, which has made the US dollar appreciate against other currencies, thus resulting in a higher USD/VND exchange rate.
However, thanks to the State Bank of Vietnam’s efforts in setting the daily reference exchange rate in comparison to eight key currencies, the USD price in the domestic market has still been kept within the trading band of +/-3%.
Meanwhile, domestic gold prices have fluctuated in line with global ones, Lam noted.
The core inflation, which is the CPI excluding food items, energy products and State-managed commodities (healthcare and educational services), in December increased by 0.09% from last month and 1.7% from the same period last year. The whole year’s figure climbed 1.48% from 2017, according to the GSO.
During its recent session, the National Assembly still maintained the inflation target of about 4% for the next year.
Rather than expanding logistics infrastructure indiscriminately, the MoIT plans to establish a tiered network comprising national, regional and local logistics centres, specialised logistics hubs and cargo consolidation points.
Vietnam has entered the world's top 30 most competitive economies for the first time, ranking 27th out of 70 economies in the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
The new circular will help credit institutions have more room to provide capital to businesses and investment projects to support high economic growth in the next few years, while increasing flexibility in the SBV’s monetary policy management.
The study found that 85% of Vietnamese enterprises reported positive business sentiment, a sharp increase from 48% in 2025, when business confidence was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies and related trade developments.
Resolution 10-NQ/TW marks a significant reset of Vietnam’s foreign investment strategy, introducing broad reforms to create a more unified and effective framework for attracting foreign capital.
Vinh Long farmers are scaling up specialised growing zones and tightening production standards, aiming to lock in sustainable growth for pomelo cultivation and more prosperity across the Mekong Delta province.
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Thinh, the province aims to maintain stable and sustainable growth, improve the competitiveness of both the economy and local businesses, and make better use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand and diversify export markets.
As offenders adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics, customs authorities are tightening controls at border gates, stepping up the use of technologies and refining enforcement measures to intercept illicit goods at the import and transit stages.
As Vietnam pursues rapid and sustainable economic growth, improving growth quality, advancing the green transition, promoting the circular economy, and adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards are becoming increasingly urgent.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) highlighted the city's dominance in green-certified building floor space in Vietnam, reflecting the rapid expansion of the green building market with 780 completed green buildings encompassing over 18.69 million sq.m by 2025, predominantly certified by EDGE and LEED.
The United Kingdom officially announced two new climate cooperation initiatives to support Vietnam in its energy transition and green growth journey. These programs focus on offshore wind power development and the creation of a sustainable green financial ecosystem.
The GTTCI expert noted that alongside logistics and integrated warehousing, e-commerce is expected to be a particularly high-growth sector in the coming years. He described it as a multi-billion-dollar market with significant untapped opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and India.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam’s exports reached 215.66 billion USD in the first five months of 2026, up 19.5% year-on-year. Twenty-six export items generated more than 1 billion USD in revenue each, including seven with turnover exceeding 10 billion USD.
By combining centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary design, Hanoi’s traditional craft villages are finding new ways to keep their cultural heritage relevant and competitive in modern life.
A significant number of Swedish enterprises are set to expand their operations in Vietnam, reflecting a deep-seated confidence in the country’s long-term economic prospects.
Since the start of the summer harvest season, China's two major border gates with Vietnam, Youyi Guan in Pingxiang and Beilun 2 Bridge in Dongxing, have entered their peak period for handling imports of fresh agricultural and seafood products from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
UOB noted that while Vietnam has maintained relatively strong growth momentum, recent economic indicators suggest a mixed short-term outlook, with positive developments tempered by mounting challenges. In particular, higher energy costs are beginning to weigh on manufacturing activity and macroeconomic stability.
According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), the logistics sector will require around 2.2 million workers by 2030, including 1.6 million employees for logistics service providers and nearly 600,000 personnel supporting logistics operations in manufacturing and trading enterprises.
To date, over 100 fisheries unions, solidarity groups and teams protecting national sovereignty and security at sea in Da Nang have signed commitments not to engage in IUU fishing.
The development strategy for VIFC-HCMC envisions a comprehensive financial ecosystem encompassing green finance, carbon credits, financial technology (fintech), blockchain technology, digital assets, digital banking and other innovative business models. These highly internationalised sectors involve complex cross-border transactions and sophisticated legal structures.