To become a true national growth pole and a regional financial–trade–logistics hub, Ho Chi Minh City must embrace its new scale and responsibilities, experts say.

Vietnam posted a remarkable economic performance in 2025, outpacing both regional and global averages. With this momentum, the country has officially entered the ranks of upper-middle income economies.

Ambitious GDP targets in the lead-up to the 14th Party Congress demand radical institutional reforms and a shift away from outdated growth models.

If one had to encapsulate Vietnam’s economic journey over the past few years in a single phrase, it might be: “a path through successive storms.” Not just one isolated crisis, but an unrelenting series of external and internal upheavals.

Five new institutional pillars are gradually reshaping Vietnam’s economic landscape from now until the 14th National Party Congress.

There are moments in a nation’s developmental history when thinking suddenly shifts like an unexpected yet inevitable turn.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) reported that Vietnam’s economy maintained positive growth momentum in 2025, with GDP at 8.02 percent, inflation under control, and state budget revenue exceeding estimates by nearly 35 percent.

Resolution 68-NQ/TW issued by the Politburo in 2025 has placed the private sector in its proper position in Vietnam’s economic development structure.

Vietnam posted one of the world’s highest economic growth rates in 2025, maintaining strong momentum despite global volatility. But a closer look at what sustained that growth - and the pressures mounting for 2026 - calls for caution.

Vietnam’s institutional reforms during the 2021–2025 term have gone beyond legal texts, showing visible impact in construction sites and investment flows across the country.

From legal overhaul to green transition, Vietnam is laying the groundwork for high-quality growth through five transformative institutional pillars.

Vietnam’s digital economy contributed 14% of GDP in 2025, but with ambitious targets ahead, 2026 will be the real test of depth and impact.

Vietnam’s state economy is expected to play a stronger leading role in driving growth and guiding the country’s green transition under a newly issued Politburo resolution, according to an economic expert.

National Assembly Chair Tran Thanh Man has signed certification of Resolution No. 252/2025 of the 15th National Assembly, which revises and supplements the National Master Plan for the 2021–2030 period with a vision to 2050.

In 2025, Vietnam’s GDP grew by 8%, beating UOB’s forecast of 7.7% but still falling short of the Government’s target of 8.3–8.5%, which would have needed an extraordinary boost in the final quarter.

Despite challenges, Vietnam has demonstrated strong resilience, maintaining high growth rates and ranking among the world’s leading growth performers.

Vietnam recorded a breakthrough year in economic growth in 2025, defying global trade volatility and the prolonged impact of geopolitical tensions.

The widening gap between economic growth and power usage in Vietnam reflects deeper structural shifts.

The year 2025 closed with a distinctive sense of relief after a long period of hardship-alongside a deeper reflection on Vietnam’s future development path.

Vietnam posted 8.02% GDP growth in 2025, among the fastest globally, and is projected to surpass Singapore and Thailand in economic size this decade.