AsemconnectVietnam - Foreign investment attraction in Vietnam during the first seven months of 2026 continued to show growth, particularly in newly registered capital and realized capital.

According to data updated as of July 31, 2026, by the General Statistics Office, the total registered foreign investment in Vietnam (comprising new registrations, capital adjustments, and capital contributions/share purchases) reached US$38.06 billion, a sharp increase of 58.0% year-on-year.
New registered capital increased by 2.1 times over the same period last year.
Notably, newly registered FDI capital saw robust growth. Specifically, 2,429 projects were granted new licenses nationwide, with a total capital of US$21.05 billion. Although the number of projects rose by only 7.8%, the volume of newly registered capital was 2.1 times higher than in the same period last year.
The manufacturing and processing sector remained the largest recipient of FDI, accounting for 55.0% of total newly registered capital (reaching US$11.58 billion). This was followed by the electricity, gas, and water production and distribution sector, with US$3.13 billion (14.9%).
Regarding investment partners, Singapore led the 69 countries and territories investing new capital in Vietnam, contributing US$7.5 billion (35.6%). Major partners following Singapore included South Korea (US$5.61 billion), Hong Kong (China) (US$2.91 billion), and China (US$1.73 billion).
Additionally, adjusted registered FDI capital from 666 projects contributed an extra US$10.43 billion to the economy (an increase of 4.4%). Capital contributions and share purchases totaled 1,815 transactions valued at US$6.58 billion, increased by 61.6% year-on-year with the bulk of funds flowing into professional, scientific, and technological activities (US$2.68 billion) and the wholesale and retail sectors (US$1.96 billion).
Highest realized capital in 5 years
According to the General Statistics Office, another highlight in foreign investment attraction was the volume of realized FDI in Vietnam, estimated at US$15.20 billion, an 11.8% increase compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest level of realized FDI for a seven-month period in the last five years. Notably, over 82.6% of this capital (equivalent to US$12.55 billion) was disbursed directly into factories and facilities within the processing and manufacturing sectors.
Looking back at data released in January 2026, total newly registered and adjusted capital was merely at a starting point (exceeding US$2.36 billion), while realized capital stood at around US$1.48 billion.
However, the pace of capital attraction shifted significantly within just six months. Moving beyond a period of stagnation, the volume of newly licensed capital rose steadily month by month, driving the total to over US$21 billion. This shift demonstrates that international investor confidence in the Vietnamese market continues to strengthen, particularly regarding mega-projects in high-tech sectors, energy production, and manufacturing.
Outboud investment increased
Conversely, the capital outflows from Vietnamese enterprises investing abroad also experienced a boom during the first seven months of the year. Vietnam's total outward investment (comprising both new and adjusted capital) reached US$2.36 billion, a 4.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, there were 106 newly licensed projects (totaling US$1.17 billion, a 2.9-fold increase), while supplementary capital for existing projects amounted to US$1.19 billion (a 9.2-fold increase).
Vietnam's outward investment strategy is currently focused on infrastructure, logistics, and energy sectors. Specifically, transportation and warehousing accounted for 25.5% (US$601.7 million), while electricity and gas production and distribution accounted for 24.8% (US$585.8 million).
Laos remained the key strategic partner, receiving US$638.3 million (27.0%) of Vietnam's outward investment. It was followed by Cambodia (US$449.9 million) and Indonesia (US$308.6 million). The more distant markets, such as India, the Philippines, and Kazakhstan are also gradually emerging as new destinations for Vietnamese enterprises.
Source: VITIC/vneconomy.vn