According to a report released on the morning of April 6 by the General Statistics Office (under the Ministry of Finance), the country’s Q1 GDP growth reached 6.93%, the strongest first-quarter expansion over the past six years.

However, the head of the General Statistics Office noted that the figure still fell short of the more ambitious growth target set in Government Resolution No. 25. The global environment - marked by rapid changes and growing uncertainties - has continued to affect Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

Among the economic sectors, industry, construction, and services remained the key drivers, contributing significantly to overall growth. The services sector made the largest contribution to added value, accounting for over 53.74%.

According to the GSO, a surge in consumer demand during the Lunar New Year and a sharp rise in international tourist arrivals significantly boosted the growth of the trade and service sectors, which saw a year-on-year increase in value added of 7.7%.

Industry and construction also maintained positive momentum, with the sector’s value added growing by 7.32% over the first three months. Notably, manufacturing and processing continued to serve as the economy’s primary growth engine, expanding by 9.28%.

The agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector posted a value-added increase of 3.74% in Q1.

In terms of economic structure, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries made up 11.56% of the economy, industry and construction 36.31%, and services 43.44%, proportions similar to the same period last year.

Vietnam’s total import-export turnover in Q1 exceeded $202 billion, up 13.7% year-on-year. Exports grew by 10.6%, while imports rose by 17%, resulting in a trade surplus of $3.16 billion.

Regarding business activity, the statistics agency reported that over 36,400 new enterprises were established in the first quarter, with total registered capital amounting to approximately 14.3 billion USD (356.8 trillion VND).

Meanwhile, the number of businesses resuming operations rose 2.4% year-on-year, reaching more than 36,500. On average, over 24,300 businesses were either newly established or restarted operations each month. However, nearly 26,300 businesses withdrew from the market monthly during the same period.

The General Statistics Office also reported that the consumer price index (CPI) in Q1/2025 increased by 3.22% compared to Q1/2024.

During the first three months of the year, the average gold price index jumped 31.45%, while the USD price index rose by 3.63% year-on-year.

The average monthly income of Vietnamese workers in Q1/2025 was approximately 8.3 million VND (around 333 USD), up 131,000 VND from Q4/2024 and 720,000 VND from the same period last year.

Nguyen Le