Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Vietnam
Vietnam: Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) was 4.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Vietnam, 1985–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Vietnam stood at 4.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Vietnam peaked at 11.9% in 1994 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 1985.
Vietnam ranks 51st of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | -0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -126.8% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | +18514.2% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | +6.9% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +114.1% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | +4200.7% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +40.3% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +23.1% |
| 1993 | 7.0% | +46.3% |
| 1994 | 11.9% | +69.9% |
| 1995 | 8.6% | -28.1% |
| 1996 | 9.7% | +13.1% |
| 1997 | 8.3% | -14.9% |
| 1998 | 6.1% | -25.7% |
| 1999 | 4.9% | -19.8% |
| 2000 | 4.2% | -15.4% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 3.5% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 3.6% | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 8.7% | +139.3% |
| 2008 | 9.7% | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 7.2% | -25.8% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | -24.2% |
| 2011 | 4.3% | -20.8% |
| 2012 | 4.3% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 4.9% | +25.1% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 4.8% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 4.3% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 4.3% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 4.2% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | +0.9% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 4.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.3%, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 4.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.1%, 2.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) in Vietnam changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +18514.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1990 | +4200.7% | 0.1% | 2.8% |
| 2007 | +139.3% | 3.6% | 8.7% |
| 1986 | +126.8% | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1989 | +114.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 6.8% | 2.8% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 3.4% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More economy & growth data for Vietnam
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0038 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 19.31 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.0251 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0028 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 14.1 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0031 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 15.54 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Vietnam?
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Vietnam was 4.3% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 11.9% in 1994.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 1985.
- How does Vietnam rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
- Vietnam ranks 51st out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vietnam data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.