Vietnam’s trade reached a historic US$930 billion in 2025, but experts warn that growth by scale alone has reached its structural limits.

The journey from triple-digit inflation to a US$500 billion economy reflects more than growth. It marks the liberation of human potential and the birth of a new national aspiration.

A country’s “new look” is not measured only by highways, airports or chip factories, but by the strength of its governance - the brain guiding Vietnam’s journey toward sustainable prosperity.

In the course of Doi moi (Renewal) and international integration, infrastructure has been identified as the “lifeblood” of the economy, playing a pivotal role in driving growth and expanding development space.

Vietnam closed 2025 with a historic trade milestone as total export-import turnover reached US$930 billion, despite sluggish global growth, fragmented international trade and increasingly dense technical barriers.

Entering a new development phase, Vietnam must free up people’s resources and unlock institutional bottlenecks.

Vietnam has five years to lift GDP per capita to US$8,500 by 2030 - an ambitious target that demands structural reform and new growth engines.

In 2025, Cao Bang, affected by natural disasters, still recorded positive indicators: GRDP growth reached 7.22 percent, budget revenue exceeded 215 percent of the estimate, and the public investment disbursement rate hit 96 percent.

Vietnam’s commitment to net-zero emissions is driving sweeping changes across energy, industry and agriculture, reshaping the foundations of long-term growth.

As policymakers set their sights on double-digit expansion, the challenge lies in aligning public investment, private enterprise and macro stability into a coherent growth strategy.

Backed by sweeping public investment and a strategic supply chain shift, Vietnam is positioning itself to surpass Thailand in economic scale as early as 2026-2027.

As Vietnam steps into 2026, the country moves from preparation to implementation after the 14th National Party Congress, where ambitious goals are now to be tested through concrete action.

Airports, high-speed railways and deep-sea ports are expected to power Vietnam’s journey toward industrialization by 2045 and Net Zero by 2050.

Vietnam is at the convergence of opportunity and aspiration. A new growth model is being formed. A “Vietnamese value system” - self-reliant, prosperous, and happy - is gradually becoming the guiding principle for development.

Across Vietnam, rivers are no longer silent witnesses. They are becoming the axis of financial ambition, tourism revival and environmental reckoning in cities learning to grow without forgetting their source.

With global supply chains shifting and green standards rising, Vietnam has a rare chance to elevate its role in the regional and global economy.

The $550 billion mark is more than a target. It is a stress test for Vietnam’s export resilience in 2026, as global uncertainty deepens and the old growth model nears its limits.

Vietnam’s administrative overhaul marks a turning point toward modern, transparent, and citizen-serving state management.

Vietnam will release preliminary results of its 2026 Economic Census seven months earlier than originally planned after adjustments to the census timeline, senior statistics officials said at a meeting in Hanoi on February 9.