Foreign direct investment (FDI) disbursed in Vietnam during the first two months of 2026 was estimated at US$3.21 billion, the highest level recorded for the same period in the past five years.

On the morning of March 6, the Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance said that according to data from the Foreign Investment Agency, total registered foreign investment in Vietnam as of February 28 - including newly registered capital, adjusted capital and capital contributions or share purchases by foreign investors - reached US$6.03 billion, down 12.6 percent compared with the same period last year.

Newly registered investment included 620 licensed projects with total registered capital of US$3.54 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.2 percent in the number of projects and 61.5 percent in registered capital.

The manufacturing and processing sector attracted the largest share of newly licensed foreign investment, with registered capital reaching US$2.63 billion, accounting for 74.3 percent of the total. Wholesale and retail, including repair of automobiles, motorcycles and motorbikes, received US$358.6 million, representing 10.1 percent, while other sectors attracted US$550.5 million, accounting for 15.6 percent.

Among 44 countries and territories with newly licensed investment projects in Vietnam during the first two months of the year, South Korea was the largest investor with US$1.34 billion, accounting for 37.8 percent of the total newly registered capital.

Singapore ranked second with US$1.1 billion, representing 31.1 percent. China followed with US$522.8 million, accounting for 14.8 percent, while Japan invested US$171 million, representing 4.8 percent.

Other investors included Hong Kong (China) with US$143 million, accounting for 4 percent, the US with US$85.6 million, accounting for 2.4 percent, and Samoa with US$68.7 million, representing 1.9 percent.

In terms of location, Thai Nguyen led the country in attracting newly registered FDI, with total newly registered capital exceeding US$1.3 billion in the first two months of the year.

Ha Tinh ranked second with more than US$411 million. Meanwhile, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City attracted a large number of projects - 104 and 328 respectively - but newly registered capital reached only about US$337 million in Hanoi and US$286 million in Ho Chi Minh City.

Adjusted capital also saw 180 previously licensed projects registering additional investment totaling US$1.99 billion, down 52.3 percent compared with the same period last year.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency, implemented FDI in Vietnam during the first two months of 2026 reached an estimated US$3.21 billion, an increase of 8.8 percent year-on-year and the highest figure for the same period in five years.

Of this amount, the manufacturing and processing sector accounted for US$2.65 billion, representing 82.7 percent of the total implemented FDI. Real estate business activities attracted US$223.5 million, accounting for 7 percent, while electricity generation and distribution, gas supply, hot water, steam and air conditioning reached US$119.2 million, representing 3.7 percent.

Nguyen Le