Fresh data from the Ministry of Finance’s NSO shows the tourism industry taking the lead, with travel earnings soaring by 20.2%.

The total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue at current prices were estimated at 627.8 trillion VND (nearly 23.9 billion USD) last December, up 3.9% from the previous month and 9.8% year on year.

Of the total, revenue from garments rose 13.8% year on year, while sales of household goods, utensils and equipment surged by 13.4%. Food and foodstuffs recorded a 9.7% rise, whereas revenue from cultural and educational items fell by 6.2%. Meanwhile, accommodation and catering, and travel services grew by 14.2% and 19.9%, respectively.

The total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 were estimated to increase by 8.4% compared to the same period last year, exceeding 1.833 trillion VND at current prices.

Nguyen Thu Oanh, head of the NSO's Service and Price Statistics Department, said the main drivers included improvements in household income and employment, which helped strengthen consumers’ spending capacity. She added that consumer confidence has been reinforced by macroeconomic stability, timely support policies, and a more favourable business environment.

At the same time, the services sector recorded a strong rebound, with gains in accommodation, catering and travel services underpinning stronger consumer demand.

The NSO reported that the total retail sales of goods revenue were estimated at 5.33 quadrillion VND in 2025, accounting for 76.1% of total consumer revenue and up 8.0% from the previous year.

Meanwhile, the country earned 93.9 trillion VND from tourism activities, marking up 1.4% in the total.

Both international and domestic tourism saw strong growth, directly driving consumption and generating spillover effects across other service sectors. Notably, Viet Nam welcomed nearly 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, up 20.4% from 2024, reaching a multi-year record.

The NSO attributed the results to the strong guidance and decisive actions of the Government and the tourism sector in restructuring the visitor market, diversifying tourism products, innovating promotion and marketing activities, and, notably, implementing increasingly open visa policies that have strongly attracted tourists.

In addition, e-commerce, online shopping, and digital services have grown rapidly, expanding distribution channels and making it easier for consumers to access goods. Broadly implemented stimulus measures, promotional campaigns, and retail collaborations have helped boost consumer demand.