Vietnam's overseas investment surged in the first five months of 2025, reaching 317.3 million USD, a 130% increase compared to the same period in 2024. (Photo: VNA)

This significant growth is primarily attributed to a surge in newly licensed projects.

Between January and May, Vietnamese investors received approval for 46 new overseas projects with a total registered capital of 275.7 million USD, a 170% year-on-year increase. Furthermore, 13 existing projects increased their registered capital by approximately 41.6 million USD, a 27.8% rise compared to the same period last year.

Vietnamese investors have primarily focused on the production and distribution of electricity, gas, hot water, steam, and air conditioning, which accounted for 35% of total outbound investment. This was followed by manufacturing and processing industries (22.7%) and transportation and warehousing (15.9%).

Among overseas investment destinations, Laos remains the top recipient, with a total registered capital of 145.9 million USD from Vietnamese investors. Indonesia ranked second with 59.1 million USD, followed by the Philippines (34.3 million USD) and Japan (26.1 million USD).

Simultaneously, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam has seen a sharp increase, reaching 18.39 billion USD in the first five months of 2025, representing a 51.2% growth compared to the same period last year. Realised capital stood at 8.9 billion USD, marking a 7.9% increase.