Private banks paid a total of 47.3 trillion VND (over USD 1.79 billion) to the State budget in the 2024 fiscal year, according to CafeF’s ranking of the top 20 private banks by budget contribution.

S&P Global Ratings has raised the long-term credit ratings of three major banks, reflecting the stronger resilience of the country’s financial system and continued above-average economic growth.

With six major banks now holding more than half of Vietnam’s total banking assets, the financial sector is showing strong momentum in 2025.

Bad loans classified as Group 5 have surged 8% since January, raising concerns about credit quality and capital risks among Vietnam’s top commercial banks.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has announced that from October 1, 2025, certain commercial banks will be entitled to a 50% reduction of the required reserve ratio, a move expected to inject dozens of trillions of dong into the economy.

With strong financial backing and ESG alignment, Agribank is helping Vietnamese businesses turn carbon credits into real economic assets.

The US dollar surged to a new milestone in Vietnam on August 20, with commercial banks officially listing the selling price at 26,500 VND/USD for the first time.

Among 29 commercial banks, 11 reported a decline in bad debt ratios in the second quarter, including National Citizen Commercial Joint Stock Bank (NBC) from 19.54% to 11.35% and Agribank from 1.68% to 1.43%.

Despite system-wide increase, 21 banks keep bad debt ratios below 3%.

This policy is expected to motivate large banks to participate in handling weak banks, while opening up more credit space for the economy.

Vietnam’s banking sector has completed a comprehensive review and verification of all customer records, both individual and corporate, linked to payment accounts using digital channels.

The first half of 2025 saw the “Big 4” banks retain their dominance in lending, while private lenders NCB and VPBank posted the fastest growth.

Experts warned that excessive capital concentration in high-risk sectors like real estate and securities, risks of imbalances and non-performing loans could increase.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to develop a roadmap to pilot the removal of the credit growth quota regulation from 2026.

Experts say credit growth in real estate is under control, but some warn of long-term economic risks if lending continues to rise sharply.

The race to increase charter capital in the banking industry is in a vibrant period and will continue in the remaining months of 2025, when a series of banks are approved to raise capital worth thousands of billions of Vietnamese dong.

Cashless payments are growing at an impressive rate, averaging 30–40% annually. Vietnam’s per capita cashless transaction volume now trails only China, with total value of 295.2 quadrillion VND (11.26 trillion USD), or 26 times of its GDP.

Vietnam’s central bank clarifies concerns over capital inflows into real estate and stocks as credit growth hits double digits.

The central bank called on credit organisations to cut costs and profits to lower lending rates further, supporting households and firms.

The first half of 2025 has revealed an impressive earnings landscape among listed enterprises, marked by the continued dominance of banks and the remarkable rise of select real estate players.