The city's jump represents the second-largest rank rise in this evaluation cycle, building on momentum from GFCI 39 published in March 2026, when Ho Chi Minh City jumped 11 spots from 95th to 84th. Across two consecutive index releases in 2026, the city has advanced a total of 28 places, rising from 95th to 67th.
This trend highlights HCMC's improving position within the global network of financial centers. Alongside refining its operational foundations during this period, the Executive Agency of the Vietnam International Financial Center in HCMC (VIFC-HCMC) actively expanded connections and enhanced dialogue with international financial institutions, professional organizations, and global investors.
Significantly, HCMC was also listed among 15 financial centers expected by survey respondents to gain importance over the next 2 to 3 years, receiving 34 mentions over the past 24 months. This recognition offers additional insight into the city's growth outlook alongside its gains in score and standing.
In the financial technology sector, Ho Chi Minh City advanced 12 places from 83rd to 71st, scoring 645 points—an 11-point gain from the previous period. Additionally, the city's overall score increased by approximately 4.1 percent, outpacing both the global average growth rate of 0.8 percent and the Asia-Pacific regional average of 1.48 percent. These results reinforce positive signals regarding HCMC's competitiveness and growth potential within the international financial network.
Richard D. McClellan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Executive Agency of the Vietnam International Financial Center in HCMC, shared that VIFC-HCMC's rise to 67th position, combined with Vietnam now having two internationally ranked financial centers, is an encouraging signal. However, he emphasized that what matters more remains the foundations established, the quality of the financial ecosystem, and the ability to connect substantive capital flows over the coming years.
The Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) is the world's most authoritative comparison of the competitiveness of the world’s leading financial centers. GFCI is published by the Z/Yen Partners in collaboration with the China Development Institute. The GFCI is updated and published every March and September, and receives considerable attention from the global financial community.
The fortieth edition of the Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI 40) was published on 16 September 2026. GFCI 40 provides evaluations of future competitiveness and rankings for 117 financial centers around the world.
The GFCI serves as a valuable reference for policy and investment decision-makers. Some 139 financial centers were researched for GFCI 40 of which 117 are in the main index. The GFCI is compiled using 144 instrumental factors. These quantitative measures are provided by third parties including the World Bank, the OECD, and the United Nations.
The instrumental factors are combined with financial center assessments provided by respondents to the GFCI online questionnaire. GFCI 40 uses 39,531 assessments from 6,147 respondents.
