AsemconnectVietnam - According to Vneconomy.vn, Vietnam's foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in the first 5 months of 2026 witnessed a spectacular repositioning of capital flows, with total registered capital nationwide reaching US$24.81 billion, marking a strong shift from traditional capital cities to emerging localities with rich potential.

The clearest evidence was Thai Nguyen, which unexpectedly went to the top nationwide with over US$7.63 billion, accounting for 30.7% of total registered capital and a record growth of 2,811.7% compared to the same period last year, thanks to its proactive strategy of preparing over 300 hectares of clean land, far surpassing the "leading" Ho Chi Minh City in second place with over US$4.1 billion.
In addition, the race for foreign investment also saw unprecedented growth in Nghe An, ranking third with over $2.28 billion (a 1,760.3% increase), followed by Tay Ninh with nearly $1.91 billion (a 94.5% increase), Phu Tho with nearly $642 million, and Ha Tinh, despite attracting only over $412 million, boasting an impressive 3,089% increase.
Although older economic centers are facing intense competition, Hanoi remained an exception, reversing the trend at the end of May thanks to a series of multi-billion dollar equity investment projects, pushing the capital's total FDI to over $3.02 billion, exceeding the annual target by 116%.
This shift reflects a fundamental change in the strategies of international investors, who prioritize locations with abundant industrial land, competitive operating costs, fast administrative procedures, and well-connected logistics infrastructure, such as VSIP Nghe An 3 or Hoang Mai II Industrial Parks.
Simultaneously, this investment wave also marks a transformation in localities' approach to selective FDI attraction, prioritizing high-tech projects, supporting industries, and clean energy with the potential for technology transfer and sustainable linkages with domestic businesses to participate more deeply in global value chains.
CK
Source: VITIC/vneconomy.vn