According to the Vietnam Economic Update Report published in September, the World Bank (WB) forecasts that Vietnam's economy will grow by 6.6% in 2025, thanks to a breakthrough rate of 7.5% in the first half of the year.
"After strong growth thanks to strong early export growth in the first half of the year, Vietnam's economy is expected to increase slowly in the rest of the year when exports gradually return to normal trajectory. As an export-oriented economy, Vietnam continues to be affected by weak global growth prospects and reduced demand from major trading partners. In addition, uncertainties in trade policy may affect consumer confidence and businesses," the analysis report said.
According to the WB report, in the medium term, growth is forecast to slow down to 6.1% in 2026, before recovering to 6.5% in 2027 thanks to the improvement of global trade and Vietnam continuing to maintain its advantage as a competitive manufacturing destination.
"To support growth and reduce risks from the outside, the report recommends that Vietnam needs to promote public investment, control risks in the financial system, and promote institutional reforms" - the World Bank recommended.
According to Ms. Mariam J. Sherman - WB Director in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, commented: "With a low public debt ratio, Vietnam has abundant fiscal space. If implemented effectively, public investment will both solve infrastructure problems and create more jobs. At the same time, it is necessary to promote reforms to strengthen essential services, build a green economy, develop human capital and diversify trade - these are key factors that help Vietnam reduce global risks and maintain long-term growth."
The special focus of this report - with the title "Accelerating the development of high-tech talents in Vietnam" - emphasizes the need to build a high-quality workforce to support and accelerate the country's innovation ecosystem.
To realize the ambition of high technology and the goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045, Vietnam not only needs an increasingly large number of STEM graduates, but also needs a core team of experts capable of leading research, operating laboratories, and turning ideas into products ready to be launched on the market.
Previously, in the Asia Development perspective (ado) published in July 2025, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered its growth forecast for developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region in the period of 2025 - 2026.
In particular, Vietnam's GDP growth is adjusted down to 6.3% in 2025 and 6% in 2026 (lower than the forecast in April of 6.6% and 6.5% respectively). Inflation is expected to fall to 3.9% in 2025 and 3.8% in 2026.
According to the report of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) released at the end of July, in the ASEAN+3 group, this year Vietnam is forecast to have the highest growth rate, followed by the Philippines (5.6%) and Cambodia (5.2%).
AMRO believes that Vietnam has enough policy space to support the economy when needed. Reforms to improve the investment environment and infrastructure are also helping Vietnam strengthen its position.
In early July, United Overseas Bank (UOB) adjusted its forecast for Vietnam's GDP growth in 2025 to 6.9%, instead of the previous 6%.
UOB assessed that Vietnam's real GDP in the second quarter of 2025 has recovered strongly. This increase is far exceeding Bloomberg's forecast of 6.85% and UOB's forecast of 6.1%, as well as compared to the adjusted level of the first quarter of 2025 of 7.05%.
