According to the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, citing data from the Foreign Investment Agency, total registered FDI as of March 31 - including newly registered capital, additional capital and capital contributions or share purchases by foreign investors - reached US$15.2 billion, marking a sharp 42.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Newly registered investment accounted for 904 licensed projects with total capital of US$10.23 billion. While the number of projects rose 6.4 percent year-on-year, the registered capital surged to 2.4 times the level recorded a year earlier.

Manufacturing and processing industries attracted the largest share of newly registered FDI, with US$7.07 billion, representing 69.0 percent of the total. Electricity, gas, water supply and air conditioning followed with US$2.28 billion, accounting for 22.3 percent, while other sectors made up US$884.6 million, or 8.7 percent.

Among 52 countries and territories with newly licensed projects in Vietnam during the period, Singapore ranked first with US$5.32 billion, equivalent to 52.0 percent of total newly registered capital.

South Korea came second with US$3.68 billion, accounting for 35.9 percent. China contributed US$417.5 million, or 4.1 percent; Hong Kong (China) US$256.8 million, or 2.5 percent; Japan US$191.3 million, or 1.9 percent; and the US US$91.3 million, or 0.9 percent.

In terms of investment destinations, Thai Nguyen led the country in attracting new FDI, with total newly registered capital exceeding US$5.4 billion in the first quarter.

Nghe An ranked second with more than US$2.2 billion, followed by Ha Tinh with US$411 million. Ho Chi Minh City attracted the largest number of projects at 475, but total newly registered capital reached only US$394 million. Bac Ninh followed with more than US$358 million.

Additional registered capital saw 251 existing projects increase their investment by US$2.30 billion, down 55.1 percent compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, disbursed FDI in the first quarter reached US$5.41 billion, up 9.1 percent year-on-year - the highest level for the period in five years.

Of this, manufacturing and processing accounted for US$4.48 billion, or 82.8 percent of total disbursed FDI. Real estate activities attracted US$389.5 million, representing 7.2 percent, while electricity, gas, hot water, steam and air conditioning supply accounted for US$196.1 million, or 3.6 percent.

Nguyen Le