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| The Unitel project by Viettel is one of the most notable success stories of Vietnamese investment in Laos |
According to the Ministry of Finance, outbound investment by Vietnamese businesses totalled over $532 million in 36 new ventures, 2.3 times higher than a year ago. Adjusted capital in three projects added another $7.8 million, nearly 1.5 times higher than a year earlier.
Electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning generation and distribution accounted for the largest share of outbound investment, totalling $163.8 million, about 30.3 per cent of the total. Construction followed closely behind with $150.9 million, representing 27.9 per cent. The transport and warehousing sector ranked third with $149.2 million, or 27.6 per cent.
Outbound investment from Vietnam flows into 36 countries and territories. Laos topped the list with $176.7 million, or 32.7 per cent of the total. Kyrgyzstan placed second with $149.9 million, or 27.8 per cent. Angola came in third place with $30 million, or 5.6 per cent. It was followed by the Netherlands with $29.4 million, accounting for 5.5 per cent, and Sweden with $28.5 million, making up 5.3 per cent.
In contrast, total foreign direct investment (FDI) reached $6.03 billion in the first two months of 2026, a decrease of 12.6 per cent from a year ago. This figure includes newly registered capital, adjusted capital, and capital contributions/share purchases by foreign investors.
Disbursement of FDI rose 8.8 per cent in January-February from a year ago to $3.21 billion. This is the highest level of disbursement recorded for the same period in the past five years.
There were 44 countries and territories that made new investments in Vietnam during the first two months of this year. South Korea was the largest investor with $1.34 billion, accounting for 37.8 per cent of newly registered capital. It was followed by Singapore with $1.1 billion, making up for 31.1 per cent. Next are China ($522.8 million) and Japan ($171 million), representing 14.8 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively.
