Viet Nam is among the economies with outstanding trade growth prospects

Viet Nam is projected to continue to be among the economies with outstanding trade growth prospects, according to the DHL Global Connectivity 2026 report.

Thanks to its sustained process of opening up and integration over the past nearly four decades, Viet Nam has gradually increased its position in the global trading system.

According to the report, at the start of the Doi Moi (Renovation) process in 1986, Viet Nam's GDP per capita was only about $420 (in 2024 terms), among the lowest in the world. However, along with economic reforms and expanded international integration, the per capita income has increased to approximately $4,700 in 2024.

This transformation is closely linked to the strong development of international trade. Between 1986 and 2024, the proportion of goods exports to Viet Nam's GDP increased sharply from 9% to 87%, reflecting the increasingly deep integration of the economy with global supply chains.

In addition, Viet Nam actively participates in international economic cooperation mechanisms and builds a vast network of free trade agreements. Many new-generation trade agreements such as CPTPP, RCEP, and FTAs with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union have opened up vast market spaces for Vietnamese goods.

Between 2025 and 2029, four Asian countries are projected to be among the top 30 economies in the world in terms of both size and trade growth rate: India, Viet Nam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Notably, Viet Nam is projected to rank 5th globally in terms of trade growth during this period. Updated forecasts up to early 2026 further reinforce this positive outlook, with Viet Nam potentially achieving the 4th largest absolute increase in merchandise trade globally between 2026 and 2030, behind only China, India, and the United States.

In terms of growth rate, Viet Nam's trade volume is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 6%, ranking 24th in the world.

Besides its promising trade growth prospects, Viet Nam is also recognized as one of the economies that has improved most significantly in terms of global economic connectivity over the past two decades.

According to the DHL Global Connectivity Report 2026, Viet Nam's global connectivity score increased by 6.5 points between 2001 and 2025, placing it among the top 10 fastest-improving countries in the world. This index measures the level of interconnectedness of economies across four pillars: trade, investment, information, and people-to-people mobility.

This improvement reflects Viet Nam's increasingly deep integration into the international economic system, from expanding trade and attracting foreign direct investment to participating more deeply in global supply chains.

According to John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, Viet Nam currently possesses several key advantages to increase its role in the global trade network. A young workforce, competitive costs, a favorable geographical location, and an improving logistics infrastructure are crucial factors.

"Viet Nam is a market with great potential, especially considering the continued strong growth in FDI. With its geographical advantages and the development of its logistics infrastructure, Viet Nam has many conditions to expand its role in the global supply chain," a DHL representative assessed.

Source: VTV