Hanoi: Vietnam’s economy grew 9.95 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2026, its fastest quarterly expansion in four years, according to data from the National Statistics Office.

Growth accelerated from a revised 8.81 percent in the second quarter, bringing GDP growth for the January to September period to 9.01 percent.

The government is targeting economic growth of at least 10 percent for the full year, meaning the economy would need to expand by more than 10 percent in the fourth quarter to meet the target.

Exports rose 39.1 percent year on year in September to USD 59.48 billion, while imports increased 45.8 percent to USD 58.21 billion. The country recorded a trade surplus of USD 1.27 billion for the month.

For the first nine months of the year, exports increased 24.5 percent to USD 434.30 billion, while imports rose 36.7 per cent to USD 453.72 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of USD 19.42 billion.

Investment also increased during the period. Total investment rose 16.7 per cent in the first nine months, while foreign investment disbursements increased 12.1 percent to USD 21.1 billion. Registered foreign direct investment reached about USD 50.4 billion.

Industrial production increased 16.7 per cent year on year in September, while consumer prices rose 5.08 percent from a year earlier, compared with 4.89 percent in August.

The Asian Development Bank has raised its 2026 growth forecast for Vietnam to 7.8 percent from 7.2 per cent, while pointing to global demand, energy prices and financial conditions as factors affecting the outlook.