Contrary to expectations, it is not Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, but Bac Ninh that has led the nation in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first eight months of 2025, maintaining its top position from 2024.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance, total registered FDI in Vietnam for the first eight months of 2025 reached over USD 26.1 billion, up 27.3% compared to the same period last year.

Among the new investments, 2,534 projects were licensed, totaling more than USD 11 billion in registered capital. This reflects a 12.6% increase in the number of projects but an 8.1% decrease in registered capital compared to the same period in 2024.

Notably, the processing and manufacturing sector continued to attract the largest share of new FDI, with newly registered capital reaching USD 6.53 billion, accounting for 59.2% of the total. Real estate activities followed with USD 2.37 billion (21.5%), while other sectors attracted USD 2.13 billion (19.3%).

Among 78 countries and territories with newly licensed investment projects in Vietnam during this period, Singapore remained the largest investor with USD 3.06 billion, representing 27.8% of the total newly registered capital. China ranked second with USD 2.65 billion (24%), followed by Sweden with USD 1 billion (9.1%).

By locality, Bac Ninh led the country in new FDI inflows, with 245 licensed projects amounting to nearly USD 1.5 billion in registered capital over the first eight months of 2025.

Ho Chi Minh City ranked second with 1,244 newly licensed projects, though total new registered FDI capital reached only USD 1.3 billion. Following were Hai Phong, Hung Yen, and Gia Lai, which attracted USD 1.2 billion, USD 1.1 billion, and USD 1 billion respectively.

Regarding additional investment capital, 996 existing projects received approvals to increase their capital, totaling USD 10.65 billion, marking an 85.9% rise over the same period last year.

Combining new and adjusted capital, the processing and manufacturing sector attracted USD 13.64 billion, accounting for 62.9% of total FDI. Real estate activities reached USD 4.98 billion (23%), and the remaining sectors totaled USD 3.06 billion (14.1%).

Additionally, disbursed FDI in Vietnam for the first eight months of 2025 was estimated at USD 15.4 billion, an 8.8% increase year-on-year. This is the highest level of FDI disbursement recorded for the first eight months of any year in the past five years.

Nguyen Le