Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam stayed strong in January, especially in terms of disbursed capital, signalling growing investor confidence in the country’s economic prospects and business environment.
Indeed, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), FDI inflows last month continued to show robust growth compared to the same month last year. Disbursed FDI reached $1.68 billion, marking an 11.26% increase from $1.51 billion in January 2025.
This suggests that foreign investors are continuing to carry out and expand their operations in Vietnam. “This is an encouraging signal, reflecting the foreign investment sector’s confidence in Vietnam’s business environment and economic prospects,” the MoF noted.
In contrast, total registered FDI fell significantly compared to the same period last year, diverging from the strong growth in disbursed capital. In January, total registered FDI amounted to over $2.57 billion, down 40.58% from more than $4.334 billion in January 2025, Vietnam Investment Review reports.
Of the total, newly registered capital reached $1.489 billion across 349 projects, representing a 15.71% increase in capital and a 23.76% rise in the number of projects.
Additional capital amounted to $888.5 million across 91 projects, marking a 67.4% decline, while capital injected through capital contributions and share acquisitions totalled $198.3 million, down 38.57%.
The MoF clarified that this decrease does not indicate a slowdown in foreign investment, but largely reflects a high comparison base from the same period last year, when additional capital adjustments for existing projects were unusually high.
Moreover, last month the majority of registered foreign investment was directed toward manufacturing and processing, followed by real estate, information and communications, and wholesale and retail trade.
“This structure is consistent with long-standing trends, reaffirming Vietnam’s position as an attractive destination for manufacturing and processing projects amid global supply chain shifts,” the MoF reported.
In terms of investment sources, Singapore led with $1.07 billion, accounting for 41.54% of the total, followed by South Korea with $551 million (21.39%), China with $385 million (14.95%), Japan with $208.2 million (8.08%), Hong Kong with $117.9 million (4.58%), the US with $91.9 million (3.57%), the Netherlands with $52.1 million (2.02%), and Taiwan with $48.6 million (1.89%).
Furthermore, overall, traditional Asia-Pacific investors continued to dominate, with the top four, Singapore, South Korea, China, and Japan, together contributing roughly 86% of total registered capital.
At the same time, several partners from Europe and North America, including the US and the Netherlands, maintained a significant presence, highlighting the ongoing diversification of Vietnam’s foreign investment sources.