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This space provides the latest data that is available to us on key financial indicators.  This is for the most part the official government picture on the economic climate in Vietnam.   Please read this data in conjunction with Vietnam Vignettes ,  the various Business Articles , and our Service pages in order to learn how VVG may be able to meet your specific needs.  Please write to us if you have questions.

Current as of  the month reported, data sources include VVG original research,  General Statistical Office, MPI, International Herald Tribune, Vietnam Investment Review, Vietnam Economic Times, and Vietnam Business Journal

Rates of Inflation & Currency Exchange

Current Annual Rate of Inflation:  0.8%  [Chart VET May 2000]  NOTE:  Inflation figures for the Tet period (February) are reported from 0.4% to2.0%

Current Rate of Exchange (exchanging cash in new bills denominated in $100 or $50 only)
US dollar to Vietnam dong  1 : 14,200

[Unofficial projections remain that this will drop to 15,000 or 16,000 this year. While Vietnam and China both deny that their currencies will drop, the dong is floating lower.  As stories are still heard that the Chinese economy is in a conservative down spiral and that the Yuan will drop below 8.3 to the dollar, we recommend investors closely watching the dong as well.]

Outstanding External Debt in US$ millions (ADB): 1997 - 11,612;  1998 - 14,861; 1999 - n/a

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Balance of Trade ¹ US$ billions (1999 forecast figures: VET)

1.  Annual currency transfers from overseas Vietnamese adds an estimated $2.5 billion into the quiet economy, while smuggling adds approximately $1.5 billion more each year. These sums are not accounted for in this tabulation of only official reports.

2.  First three months in 2000 [VET].

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Growth Rate of Merchandise Exports as a percent of change from the prior year (ADB)

Change in Consumer Prices expressed as a percent of change from the prior year (ADB)

GDP Growth (%) Government Statistics Bureau/Asian Development Bank

1. VET - May 2000

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GDP (converted to US$ billion)   VND 1 = US$  14,000 (constant) Reported in billion dollars

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GDP per capita (converted to US$)  VND 1 = US$  14,000 (constant) Reported in actual $ (vbj)

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Foreign Capital Investment 

All Nations: 2,964 projects with Total Investment Capital $36.7 billion (VET - May 2000). The numbers reported here are the most current and best data available from public sources, and their accuracy is highly suspect. Vietnam Investment Review, a publication of the MPI, no longer reports these numbers for any cross reference. 

Note: readers of these pages should note and compare prior months' reports.  All publication in Vietnam are subject to strict State censorship and State propagandizing.  The number of projects seem to be increasing month to month (see Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Britain, and the United States numbers from only March 2000) while the Total Capital changes or does not.  As for Thailand, the number of projects increased from 76 to 122 while the Total Capital decreased by $100 million.

In addition, note that following the December 1999 Economic Indicator, the overall number of projects as reported by VET  jumped dramatically (from 1,802 to  2,855) while the number of dollars invested increased by less than $2 billion.  It is also noted that there was no dramatic, year end boost in foreign investment to justify a difference of these proportions.

Other gross changes from the immediate prior month's report that appear without explanation are noted with an asterisk (*).

Top Twelve Nations (May 2000 by VET)  

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Foreign Investment By Sector  Total Foreign Investment by Sector (US$) (Apr 2000 VET)   Note: since December's Economic Indicator, the number of projects as reported by VET  has jumped dramatically (> 1,000) while the number of dollars invested has increased by > $2 billion. These numbers are highly suspect. There has been no report, and certainly no indication, of any dramatic, year end boost in direct foreign investment to justify a difference of such proportions.

Construction was added as a new category in February 2000.  Categories now eliminated from the above list (see archives of Economic Reports) are Industrial Zones, Export Processing Zones, and Housing Development. 

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Foreign Investment By Province: Top Ten Locations by Total Investment Capital. (VET May 2000 )(VIR 8-14May00) 
NOTES: Accurate figures for are not readily available. There is no logical reason for apparent reporting discrepancies. There are no longer any official reports on actual Capital Committed .  Estimates differ among multinational institutions but currently run at between $4 billion to $8 billion. 

(1) These figures are reported by Vietnam Economic Times (VET). The month to month data is not always consistent.  (2) These figures are reported by Vietnam Investment Review (VET). The month to month data is not always consistent. VET and VIR figures are rarely the same.  (3) Year to date (ytd) investments are reported by VET. 

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