HÀ NỘI — Foreign investment commitments to Việt Nam reached US$34.65 billion in the first half of 2026, up 61 per cent from a year earlier, driven by strong inflows into manufacturing and continued investment from Asian economies, official data shows.

Data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) shows newly registered investment hit $17.39 billion across 2,013 projects from January to June, up 1.3 per cent in the number of projects and 87.2 per cent in registered capital from a year earlier.

Singapore was the largest source of fresh investment with more than $7.3 billion, followed by South Korea, Japan and mainland China. Together, the four Asian economies accounted for the majority of foreign investment commitments in the first six months of the year.

At the same time, foreign investors added $11.04 billion to 541 existing projects, representing a 24 per cent rise year-on-year. 

They also contributed $6.22 billion through capital contributions and share acquisitions, an increase of nearly 90 per cent from a year earlier, reflecting continued expansion by existing investors alongside new investment.

Manufacturing and processing remained the biggest recipient of foreign capital, attracting $17.91 billion or 63 per cent of total newly registered and additional investment, reinforcing Việt Nam's position as a regional manufacturing and export hub. It was followed by real estate with $5.1 billion, or 17.9 per cent.

Realised foreign investment, a measure of capital actually disbursed into the economy, rose 11.2 per cent from a year earlier to an estimated $13.03 billion, the highest level for the first half of any year in the past five years, according to the NSO.

Manufacturing accounted for $10.76 billion, or 82.6 per cent, of disbursed investment. Real estate attracted $965.2 million, representing 7.4 per cent of the total, while electricity, gas, hot water, steam and air conditioning supply projects received $479.2 million, or 3.7 per cent.

The figures point to continued momentum in foreign investment, with both new commitments and project implementation strengthening as multinational companies expand manufacturing operations in Việt Nam.

Under its five-year strategy, Việt Nam aims to draw in up to $300 billion in registered foreign investment, equivalent to more than $50 billion annually, while disbursed capital is expected to reach up to $200 billion, or $40 billion each year.

These goals were set out in the Politburo's Resolution 10-NQ/TW on developing the foreign-invested sector by 2030. 

Experts said the targets are closely linked to Việt Nam's broader economic ambitions, with sustained double-digit growth expected to require significant investment. They said foreign investment would remain an increasingly important source of capital to support the country's expansion plans.

Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, chairman of the Việt Nam's Association of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, said the goals were ambitious and would require Việt Nam to consistently attract record levels of both registered investment commitments and realised capital. — VNS