The occupancy rate at operational industrial parks (IPs) nationwide hits nearly 75 percent, according to the Economic Zone Management Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Aerial view of the Bien Hoa 2 industrial park

In the first nine months of this year, IPs and economic zones in the country attracted 397 foreign-invested projects with newly-registered capital totalling 10.1 billion USD. In the period, the zones also drew 338 domestic investment projects worth a combined 96.9 trillion VND (4.17 billion USD).

Vietnam is now home to 327 industrial parks with a total natural acreage of 96,100 ha. Of them, 256 have been put into operation, and the remaining are in the process of land clearance and construction.

Besides IPs, the country also houses 17 coastal economic zones with total land and water surface area of more than 845,000 ha. In addition, the Ninh Co economic zone in the northern province of Nam Dinh has been designated in the national economic zone planning, but is yet to be built.

Of the 256 operating industrial zones, 224 have built concentrated waste water treatment facilities.

As of the end of September, there were 3.7 million labourers working in IPs and economic zones, around 60 percent of whom are female.