Vietnam attracted US$38.06 billion in registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first seven months of 2026, up 58 percent year-on-year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance reported on August 3.
The figure includes newly registered capital, additional investment for existing projects, and capital contributions through share purchases.
The NSO also reported that realised FDI reached an estimated US$15.2 billion during the January-July period, an increase of 11.8 percent from a year earlier and the highest seven-month disbursement recorded over the past five years.
More than 82.6 percent of the disbursed capital, equivalent to US$12.55 billion, was channelled into the processing and manufacturing sector.
Newly registered FDI posted particularly strong growth. During the period, Vietnam licensed 2,429 new projects with a total registered capital of US$21.05 billion. While the number of projects rose 7.8 percent year-on-year, newly registered capital more than doubled, 2.1 times higher than the level recorded in the same period last year.
Processing and manufacturing remained the largest recipient of new FDI, attracting US$11.58 billion, or 55 percent of the total. Electricity, gas, and water production and distribution ranked second with US$3.13 billion, accounting for 14.9 percent.
Among 69 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, Singapore remained the largest source of newly registered capital with US$7.5 billion, representing 35.6 percent of the total. It was followed by the Republic of Korea with US$5.61 billion, Hong Kong (China) with US$2.91 billion, and China with US$1.73 billion.
Additional capital for existing projects also remained positive, with 666 projects increasing their investment by a combined US$10.43 billion, up 4.4 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, capital contributions and share purchases totalled US$6.58 billion through 1,815 transactions, soaring 61.6 percent compared with the same period last year. Most of the investment was directed to professional, scientific, and technological activities, which attracted US$2.68 billion, followed by the wholesale and retail sector with US$1.96 billion.
The latest figures mark a sharp increase from the beginning of the year. In January, newly registered and adjusted FDI totalled just over US$2.36 billion, while realised capital stood at about US$1.48 billion.
The steady monthly rise in newly registered capital since then has pushed the total above US$21 billion, reflecting stronger investor confidence, particularly in high-tech manufacturing, energy production, and processing industries.
Vietnam's investment abroad also recorded robust growth in the first seven months. Total outbound investment, including newly registered and adjusted capital, reached US$2.36 billion, 4.5 times higher than the figure a year earlier.
New overseas investment licences were granted to 106 projects worth US$1.17 billion, up 2.9 times year-on-year, while additional capital for existing overseas projects reached US$1.19 billion, a 9.2-fold increase.
Outbound investment was concentrated on transport and warehousing, which accounted for US$601.7 million or 25.5 percent of the total, and electricity and gas production and distribution with US$585.8 million, or 24.8 percent.
Laos remained the largest destination for Vietnamese investment, receiving US$638.3 million, equivalent to 27 percent of the total, followed by Cambodia with US$449.9 million and Indonesia with US$308.6 million. More distant markets such as India, the Philippines, and Kazakhstan are also increasingly attracting Vietnamese investors.
