Outbound Vietnamese Investment Surges in Key Sectors
Vietnamese investors poured a total of US$846.8 million into overseas investment projects in the first nine months of 2025, marking a tremendous 4.5-fold surge compared to the same period last year, as reported by the National Statistics Office.
This substantial nine-month figure demonstrates a significant shift in the scale of Vietnam’s international economic activity.
The total included a dominant sum of $709.3 million in fresh capital across 134 newly registered projects, which represents an increase of nearly four times the amount recorded a year earlier.
Additionally, the total outward flow was supplemented by $137.5 million in additional capital channeled into 23 existing investment projects, underscoring a combination of new market entry and the expansion of successful established ventures.
The sector attracting the largest share of this outbound investment was the generation and distribution of electricity, gas, hot water, steam, and air conditioning, which accounted for $341.5 million, or a commanding 40.3 per cent of the total overseas investment capital.
This dominant allocation reflects Vietnamese enterprises’ strategic focus on energy and infrastructure development in regional markets.
Following this sector, wholesale, retail, and vehicle repair captured nearly $121 million, making up 14.3 per cent, while transportation and warehousing accounted for $109.2 million, or 12.9 per cent.
These top three sectors collectively highlight a strategic prioritization of foundational economic activities that support industrialization and regional supply chains.
Laos Leads Destinations as Enterprises Seek Opportunities
The geography of Vietnamese outbound investment reveals a strong focus on neighboring countries and regional partners, with Laos leading the pack as the primary destination for this surging capital.
Among the 34 countries and territories receiving Vietnamese investment, Laos was the clear leader, attracting $397.2 million, which represents a commanding 46.9 per cent of the total nine-month figure.
This significant commitment to Laos is indicative of deep bilateral ties and opportunities in sectors like energy and infrastructure.
Following Laos, the Philippines was the second largest recipient with $92 million, accounting for 10.9 per cent of the total investment, while Indonesia received $64.6 million, or 7.6 per cent.
Further illustrating the increasing global reach of Vietnamese capital, Germany also featured prominently, receiving $50.6 million, which constituted 6 per cent of the total, proving that the investment is not solely focused on the immediate region but is also reaching developed markets in Europe.
Phan Hữu Thắng, the former Director of the Foreign Investment Agency and current Chairman of the Vietnam Industrial Park Finance Association, offered insight into this robust growth.
He stated that the dynamic increase in Vietnam’s outward investment in recent years is a clear reflection of the increasing proactiveness and confidence of Vietnamese enterprises as they aggressively explore business opportunities that extend beyond the national borders.
He also pointed to the significant economic and social value that several overseas projects by Vietnamese firms have successfully generated, noting that these projects are frequently highly valued by their host countries, which aids in fostering stronger international relations and facilitating future investment.
Private Sector Expansion and Policy Support
Looking ahead, the future trajectory of Vietnam’s investment flows, both incoming and outgoing, is strongly tied to the momentum of the private sector, which is rapidly emerging as the nation’s key growth driver, according to industry experts.
Thắng highlighted that both inbound and outbound investment flows essentially originate from private enterprises.
He pointed to the Politburo’s recent adoption of Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on private sector development as a major institutional catalyst.
This resolution is actively working to dismantle policy and institutional barriers, thereby unlocking new opportunities for the private sector to expand its operations both domestically and internationally, further fueling investment capabilities.
In the context of Vietnam’s continuously deepening economic integration into the world, private enterprises are strategically poised to further extend their reach abroad, leveraging new free trade agreements and improved global connectivity.
As institutional and policy barriers are systematically and gradually removed by the government, outward investment by Vietnamese businesses is expected to make a powerful and sustained leap forward in the coming years.
This anticipated surge in overseas investment will not only diversify the revenue streams of Vietnamese companies but also strengthen the country’s position as a significant economic player and capital exporter in the global economy.
