HCMC – Vietnam saw US$6.03 billion in foreign investment registered in the first two months of 2026, down 12.6% year-on-year, while disbursed foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 8.8% to US$3.21 billion, the highest level for the two-month period in the past five years.
According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance, the total registered foreign investment, including newly licensed projects, additional capital and capital contributions or share purchases, amounted to US$6.03 billion as of the end of February.
During the period, 620 new projects were licensed with total registered capital of US$3.54 billion, up 20.2% in number of projects and 61.5% in value compared with the same period last year.
Manufacturing and processing continued to attract the largest share of newly registered capital at US$2.63 billion, accounting for 74.3% of the total. Wholesale and retail trade, and repair of automobiles, motorcycles and motorbikes ranked second with US$358.6 million, or 10.1%, while other sectors accounted for around US$550.5 million, equivalent to 15.6%.
Additional capital for existing projects declined during the period. There were 180 projects registering capital increases totaling US$1.99 billion, down 52.3% year-on-year.
Combined newly registered and additional capital showed manufacturing and processing remaining the largest recipient with US$4.16 billion, accounting for 75.2% of the total registered capital. Wholesale and retail trade, and repair of automobiles, motorcycles and motorbikes attracted US$392.7 million, or 7.1%, while other sectors accounted for US$979.7 million, equivalent to 17.7%.
Foreign investors also carried out 492 capital contribution and share purchase transactions valued at around US$499.5 million, down 5.7% from a year earlier. Manufacturing and processing accounted for US$244.7 million, or 49% of the total, followed by wholesale and retail trade and repair of automobiles, motorcycles and motorbikes with US$103.7 million, or 20.8%.
Meanwhile, disbursed FDI in Vietnam during the January–February period was estimated at US$3.21 billion, up 8.8% year-on-year, marking the highest disbursement level for the first two months of a year in the past five years.
Manufacturing and processing accounted for around US$2.65 billion, or 82.7% of total disbursed capital. Real estate business reached US$223.5 million, equivalent to 7%, while electricity, gas, hot water, steam and air conditioning production and distribution accounted for about US$119.2 million, or 3.7%.
