HCMC – Can Tho City aims to lift its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth to 10–10.5% this year, the highest target in years, after posting 7.23% growth in 2025, city officials said on January 6.
The target was announced at a regular press briefing held by the Can Tho People’s Committee, alongside the release of the city’s 2025 socio-economic performance report.
According to the report, Can Tho’s economy expanded by 7.23% last year, supported mainly by the services and industrial sectors.
Services remained the backbone of the local economy, accounting for 52% of total growth. Retail sales and consumer services revenue rose 16.78% from a year earlier to more than VND350 trillion, reflecting steady domestic demand.
Industry and construction contributed 31% to overall growth. The industrial production index rose nearly 10.5%, driven by a recovery in food processing, beverage production and industrial materials manufacturing. Public investment disbursement exceeded 95% of the annual plan, helping boost infrastructure construction by 9.5% and supporting related industries.
Agriculture and fisheries made up the remaining 17%. While the smallest contributor, the sector maintained stable growth through high-quality rice production and export-oriented aquaculture meeting GlobalGAP standards. These activities helped secure food supply and incomes in suburban areas. The city now has more than 12,600 hectares of concentrated fruit farming and over 710,000 hectares under high-quality rice cultivation.
To accelerate growth beyond 10% in 2026, the city plans to tap more fully into infrastructure development and emerging economic sectors.
Key priorities include completing ring roads, key connectors and major sections of the Chau Doc–Can Tho–Soc Trang Expressway. The projects are expected to strengthen Can Tho’s role as a logistics hub in the Mekong Delta. Transport and warehousing are forecast to add around 1.5 percentage points to overall growth.
The city also plans to raise the contribution of digital economy activities, finance and banking, specialized healthcare and education. These sectors are seen as high value-added and critical to keeping services’ share above 50% of GRDP.
New industrial parks are another growth driver. The VSIP Can Tho industrial park, once fully operational, is expected to attract secondary investors and lift the industry–construction share of GRDP by 2–3 percentage points, officials said.
