Retail sales of goods was estimated at VND 3,751.3 trillion in 2019, accounting for 75.9% of the total and increasing by 12.7% over 2018. Sales of accommodation and catering services achieved VND586.7 trillion, accounting for 11.9% of the total and moving up by 9.8%. Sales of travelling was estimated at VND46 trillion, representing 0.9% of the total and climbing by 12.1%. Sales of other services was estimated at VND556.4 trillion, taking 11.3% of the total and expanding by 8.5%.
Generally for 2019, passenger carriage is estimated at 5,143.1 million passengers, an increase of 11.2% over 2018 and 248.5 billion passengers-km, a rise of 10.9% (it gained 1,342.4 million passengers, up 13.6% from last year and 71.2 billion passengers-km, up 12.9%).
Freight achieved 1,684.1 million tons, expanding by 9.7% against the previous year and 322.2 billion tons-km, increasing by 7.8% (it recorded 435.2 million tons, up 11% from the identical period last year and 83.6 billion tons-km, up 8.5%).
Turnover of telecommunications was estimated at 383.3 trillion dongs in 2019, an increase of 7.8% from 2018. As of the end of 2019, the total number of telephone subscribers was estimated to achieve 133.1 million subscribers, a rise of 1.2% over the similar period last year, of which mobile phone subscribers reached 129.5 million ones, falling by 0.7% and fixed-line telephone subscribers recorded 3.6 million ones, dropping by 15.25. The main reasons are the network operators handling of “trash” SIMs, management of mobile phone subscribers in accordance with the regulation of the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the decreasing demand for landline telephones. The number of fixed broadband Internet subscribers recorded 14.8 million ones, an increase of 13.9% compared to the similar period in 2018.
The number of international visitors to Vietnam is estimated at 18,008.6 thousand arrivals in 2019, a rise of 16.2% compared to 2018, of which visitors coming by airway recorded 14,377.5 thousand arrivals, accounting for 79.8% of the number of arrivals, increasing by 15.2%. Visitors coming by road achieved 3,367 thousand arrivals, taking 18.7%, moving up by 20.4%. Visitors coming by seaway gained 264.1 thousand arrivals, making up 1.5%, climbing by 22.7%. Visitors from Asia saw a 19.1% increase with 14,386.3 thousand arrivals, holding 79.9% of international visitors. Visitors from the Europe reached 168.2 thousand arrivals, going up by 6.4%. Visitors from the America witnessed a growth of 7.7% with 973.8 thousand arrivals and visitors from the Australia recorded 432.4 thousand arrivals, reducing by 1.2%. Visitors from the Africa achieved 48 thousand arrivals, growing by 12.2%.
As of December 20, 2019, total payment increased by 12.1% over the end of 2018 (it grew by 11.3% in the same period in 2018); capital mobilization of credit organizations witnessed a rise of 12.5% (its growth rate for the same period in 2018 was 11.5%); credit growth of the economy hit 12.1% (it was 13.3% in the corresponding period in 2018).
In the fourth quarter of 2019, insurance business continued to record a high growth with an estimated rate of 20% compared to the same period last year. Insurance revenues for the whole market in 2019 increase of 20.3% over 2018, of which life insurance premium revenues went up by 25.1%; non-life insurance premium revenues grew by 11.6%.
The stock market made a lot of contributions to capital mobilization for the economy in 2019 with a total mobilized capital of VND 313.9 trillion, up 12.6% in comparison with 2018. The VNIndex reached 958.88 points as of December 24, 2019, up 7.4% compared to the end of 2018. The market capitalization gained VND 4.4 trillion as of December 17, 2019, up 10.3%. The average transaction value from the beginning of 2019 untill December 24, 2019 achieved VND 4,651 billion per session, down 29% compared to the average in 2018. In the bond market, there were 509 listed bond codes with a listing value of VND 1,162 trillion, up 3.7% compared to the end of 2018. In the derivatives market, the average trading volume from the beginning of the year up to now recorded 89,266 contracts per session, up 13% compared to the average for 2018.
Realized social investment capital
The total foreign investment in Vietnam as of December 20, 2019, including the newly registered, adjusted capital, contributed capital and shares purchased by foreign investors, reached nearly US$38 billion, up 7.2% compared to 2018. In particular, there were 3,883 newly licensed projects with a total registered capital of US$16.7 billion, an increase of 27.5% in the number of projects and a decrease of 6.8% in the amount of registered capital year-on-year.
In 2019, realized social investment capital increased by 10.2% over 2018 and equalled 33.9% of GDP, of which the non-State sector’s capital reached VND942.5 trillion, holding the largest proportion of total investment capital (46%) and recording the highest growth rate of 17.3% against the previous year. The State sector’s capital achieved VND634.9 trillion, accounting for 31%, increasing by 2.6%. The FDI sector’s capital gained VND69.4 trillion, representing 23, moving up by 7.9%. Only investment capital from the State budget has not been much improved, witnessing the lowest increase in the 2016-2019 period.
In addition, there were 1,381 turns of license-granted projects from previous years registered to adjust investment capital with additional capital of US$5.8 billion, decreasing by 23.6%; 9,842 turns of capital contribution and share purchase of foreign investors with the total contributed capital of US$15.5 billion, climbing by 56.4%. Of turns of capital contribution and share purchase of foreign investors, there were 2,136 turns of capital contribution, share purchase increased the charter capital of enterprises with the contributed capital of US$9.2 billion, and 7,706 turns of foreign investors bought domestic shares back without increasing charter capital with contributed capital of US$6.3 billion. The realized foreign direct investment capital in 2019 was estimated at US$20.4 billion, up 6.7% over 2018.