Vietnam’s Economic Landscape: Key Indicators in Q1 2026

This report brings together the most important Vietnam market trends Q1 2026, offering a clear snapshot of where the economy stands at the start of the year.
Source: General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) — Compiled by Q&Me / Asia Plus Inc., updated April 2026.

1. Retail Sales

Vietnam’s total retail and consumer service revenue in Q1 2026 reached an estimated VND 1,902,832 billion, up 10.9% year-on-year. Breaking it down, retail goods grew by 10.9%, accommodation and food services rose by 13.3%, and travel revenue climbed 12.5%.

Consumer spending kept a steady, positive growth trend throughout the first months of the year.

2. Consumer Price Index (CPI)

In March 2026, the CPI rose 4.65% compared to March 2025 — the highest point in the recent cycle. The main drivers behind this increase were transport, housing and construction materials, and food and catering services.

Overall prices trended slightly higher than last year, largely due to rising transport and housing costs.

3. Core Inflation

Core inflation in March 2026 stood at 3.96% year-on-year — below the headline CPI figure of 4.65%.

The gap between CPI and core inflation suggests that underlying price pressures remain within a manageable range.

4. Import Value

Vietnam’s total import value in Q1 2026 reached USD 126.6 billion, a 27% increase from Q1 2025. Notably, production inputs made up 93.1% of total imports.

The sharp rise in imports points to expanding industrial production activity across the country.

5. Export Value

Total export value in Q1 2026 hit USD 122.9 billion, up 19.1% compared to the same period in 2025. In addition, 37 product groups each recorded over USD 1 billion in exports, together accounting for 93.3% of total export value.

Vietnam continues to strengthen its position as one of the region’s most active export hubs.

6. Newly Registered Businesses

Q1 2026 saw 57,422 new businesses registered across Vietnam — a 57.8% jump from Q1 2025. On top of that, total registered capital reached VND 538.6 trillion, also up more than 50% year-on-year.

The record number of new market entrants reflects a high level of business confidence at the start of 2026.

7. International Visitors to Vietnam

Vietnam welcomed 6,762,175 international visitors in Q1 2026 — a record high, up 12.4% from Q1 2025. January 2026 alone brought in more than 2.4 million arrivals.

8. Unemployment Rate

Vietnam’s working-age unemployment rate in Q1 2026 came in at 2.21%, down 0.01 percentage points from the same period in 2025. More specifically, urban areas recorded a rate of 2.46%, while rural areas stayed lower at 2.04%.

The unemployment rate held steady at a low level, continuing the positive trend that has been in place since 2023.

These number of Vietnam market trends Q1 2026 economic indicators point to a strong start for the year. Retail revenue grew steadily, both imports and exports posted sharp gains, new business registrations hit a record high, and international arrivals reached an all-time quarterly peak. Together, these signals build a solid foundation as Vietnam works toward the government’s ambitious double-digit growth target for 2026.

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