Vietnam’s factories powered ahead in 2025, delivering the fastest industrial growth in six years as manufacturing surged and production expanded across all regions, according to data released on January 5 by the National Statistics Office.

Industrial production rose by 9.2% for the year, accelerating from an 8.2% increase in 2024 and marking the strongest performance since 2019.

Manufacturing and processing led the expansion, climbing 10.5% and contributing 8.4 percentage points to overall growth. Power generation and distribution increased by 6.7%, adding 0.6 percentage points. Water supply and waste management rose by 7.8%, while mining output edged up just 0.5%.

Momentum strengthened towards the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, industrial output grew by 9.9 % year on year, with manufacturing up 10.8%. December alone recorded 10.1% annual growth, driven by a 11.9% rise in manufacturing.

Automobile production surged by 39.1% for the year, the sharpest increase among major industrial products. Rolled steel output jumped 17.6% and television manufacturing rose by 17.4%.

Aquaculture feed and ready-made garments both increased by 13.8%. Cement production climbed 13.6%, leather footwear rose by 13.3% and processed seafood gained 11.1%. NPK fertiliser production was up 10.7%.

By contrast, natural gas output fell 5.6%. Synthetic fibre fabric production declined by 1.0% and monosodium glutamate slipped by 0.2%.

All 34 provinces and cities posted industrial growth during the year. Industrial employment increased by 2.4% year on year as of December 1, with companies adding 0.8% more workers compared to November. The manufacturing consumption index rose by 9.9% for the full year, easing from 11.4% growth in 2024./. VNA